Seligman’s priming theory: explaining phobias.

A theory about the adaptive factors that come into play in the emergence of phobias.

There are many theories that try to explain the acquisition of phobias. Why do you think some phobias are more common than others? In this article we will learn about Seligman's priming theorywhich tries to explain this phenomenon.

The theory alludes to two main concepts, priming (phylogenetic aspects) and predisposition (ontogenetic aspects) for the development of phobias. If you want to know why it is more likely to be afraid of heights, fire or snakes, than to be afraid of doors, for example, read on!

Seligman's theory of readiness: characteristics.

Martin Seligman was the researcher who established the theory of preparedness. According to this theory, the organism is phylogenetically prepared (through an evolutionary process of the species) to associate or learn the relationship between certain stimuli with ease (stimulus biologically primed to be associated with a response), because this learning is adaptive.

Seligman's priming theory arises in opposition to the principle of equipotentiality, which held that all stimuli could elicit phobic responses. Thus, according to Seligman, only some stimuli would be prepared to give rise to phobias. These would be dangerous stimuli that put the survival of the species at risk, such as lions, snakes, heights, fire, etc.

Seligman, in a certain way, conceives phobias as powerful adaptive tools of the species.that increase the probability of survival and perpetuation of the species.

Central concepts of the theory

Seligman's readiness theory consists of two fundamental concepts, which are as follows.

1. Readiness

It refers to phylogenetic aspectsIt refers to phylogenetic aspects of an evolutionary process of the species. There are three types of stimuli in terms of their "degree" or level of readiness:

1.1. Prepared stimuli

These are stimuli that are biologically prepared to be learned as noxious (e.g., to associate an unpleasant taste with an unpleasant taste). (e.g. associating an unpleasant taste with a tummy ache).

1.2. Unprepared stimuli

These are stimuli that are acquired after certain trials (e.g. in laboratory situations; light beams that are associated with an aversive stimulus after several trials). They would be "neutral" stimuli, with no Biological charge to be acquired, in this sense.

1.3. Counter-prepared stimuli

These are stimuli that are impossible to learn, i.e., impossible to associate with a concept, impossible to associate with a given concept (e.g., an electric shock, which is not associated with a tummy ache).

2. Predisposition

This refers to ontogenetic aspects, i.e. to individual differences resulting from the development of the organism.

The Garcia effect

Based on Seligman's theory of readiness, another interesting and widely used concept in the psychology of learning arises, which is related to the concept of "readiness" already mentioned: the Garcia effect.

This effect refers to an acquired taste aversion; It was discovered from the study of rats, when it was found that they associated an unpleasant taste with a tummy ache, since they are prepared to associate such a taste with the disease (so that we understand, by its "direct" relationship or "similarity" between the taste and the tummy).

On the other hand, rats are counter-prepared to establish an association between taste and electrical discharges (because of their null "similarity" or relationship between a stimulus).

The Garcia effect effect evidences or explains the easy acquisition of conditioned nausea in oncological patients in oncology patients; that is, these patients end up associating the taste (bad taste) of chemotherapy with subsequent vomiting, and therefore become conditioned.

Characteristics of phobias

According to Seligman's priming theory, phobias meet 4 characteristics in line with the concept of priming:

1. Selectivity

Certain stimuli produce fear more easily than others.. This implies that phobias, as we have already mentioned, are crucial for the survival of the species.

2. Easy acquisition

One trial is enough to acquire a phobia (and it does not necessarily have to be a traumatic stimulus).

3. Resistance to extinction

Phobias are strongly resistant to extinction (resistant to disappear). This is the most characteristic aspect of phobias, according to Seligman's priming theory.

4. Irrationality

Finally, there is a disproportion between the real danger of the stimulus and the anxiety response that it produces, i.e., phobias are irrational.

Reformulation of the theory

Öhman reformulated Seligman's theory of preparednessand differentiated two types of phobias, according to their evolutionary origin:

1. non-communicative origin.

These are phobias of heights, phobias of closed spaces, agoraphobia, etc. That is to say, they do not have a "social" or communicative function..

2. Communicative origin

These are phobias that fulfill a communicative role between species; for example, animal phobias and social phobias.

Animal phobias would be interspecies (they appear not only in humans), and would involve escape or defense, especially in childhood. In contrast, social phobias would be intraspecific (specific to the human species), originating responses of dominance and submissionwhich frequently appear in adolescence.

Bibliographical references:

Belloch, A.; Sandín, B. And Ramos, F. (2010). Manual of Psychopathology. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill. Clark, D. A. & Beck, A. T. (2012). Cognitive therapy for anxiety disorders. Madrid: Desclée de Brouwer.