Fear is the basic emotion of humans and animals that allows them to respond to threats. Öhman and Mineka (2003) provide evidence that the fear of snakes is predominantly uncontrollable and originated in early mammals. These findings also explain the origin of the fear module, as well as the formation of threat response. This article presents an interesting discussion about how snakes are visually identified as a threat. In turn, these aspects lead to a dispute about what evolutionary mechanisms of the fear module may be necessary for a modern person.
The material provides a unique insight into the mechanisms of fear and threat response in mammals. The main purpose of the article is to “review the findings suggesting that snakes remain special stimuli for humans” (Öhman & Mineka, 2003, p. 5). The authors provide evidence that humans and primates have an almost unconscious fear of snakes. Most notably, primates in the wild have more pronounced fear than those living in the laboratory.
The authors suggest that this mechanism evolved in early mammals as a response to the threat of dinosaurs and other dangerous predators. The most surprising fact presented in the article is that humans mark snakes as a threat unconsciously and freeze in fear at first. Detection of snakes is faster than that of other even more visible threats or distracting factors. Finally, the authors argue that in the process of evolution and interaction with reptiles as a threat, a fear module arose in humans, which later developed and became more complex. Although this module can be activated by many different stimuli and fears, reoccurring stimuli such as reptiles allow faster reaction of this system.
The most interesting fact presented in the article is how unconscious the fear of snakes is for humans and primates. In particular, the authors emphasize that “responses to snakes are organized by a specifically evolved primitive neural circuit that emerged with the first mammals” (Öhman & Mineka, 2003, p. 7). The neocortex, which is responsible for response control and advanced cognition in humans, developed later than the fear of snakes. Additionally, it is noteworthy that people can experience fear of snakes even when they are shown a picture of these reptiles. This information allows one to assess how innate and ancient this fear is for the human species. Moreover, such data can explain aspects of the evolution and formation of fears in mammals, which may be relevant to modern conditions as well.
Noteworthy in this regard is how the primary response to the snake threat is shaped. Öhman and Mineka (2003) note that a person suddenly confronted with a snake is unconsciously unable to take quick action. For a more detailed consideration of the material, one can refer to other studies in this area. Adolphs (2013) explains that in response to fear, important roles play such factors as “eliciting circumstances,… distance to the threat,… and time elapsed since a threat was encountered” (p. 87). In other words, the fight-or-flight decision is made based on these aspects, which determine the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli. The fear of snakes is thus caused by unconditioned stimuli and implies a limited response time, which can reinforce this emotion.
The fear of snakes is likely so strong precisely because a person often encounters them, as well as spiders, at a short distance, which often leads to a quick attack. For example, larger predators such as a lion or a tiger can be seen at a much greater distance, which gives more room for decision-making. Öhman (2009) also notes that snakes have priority in the visual search for threats and are identified better than other stimuli, which is consistent with findings presented by Öhman and Mineka (2003). Thus, evolutionary mechanisms have allowed mammals to form a system that works most effectively to spot the most important and immediate threats.
In this regard, it is interesting what transformations are possible for the fear module in the future since the human species is currently facing more social fears. Although the article does not discuss this topic, it asks several important questions about how a snake is generally identified as a threat. The researchers are providing direction for future research that could highlight the particular traits of snakes that act as markers for visual detecting systems. Öhman (2009) notes that a person also easily and quickly identifies aggressive facial expressions that activate the fear module. This aspect is extremely important in the framework of the evolution of social mechanisms that allow a person to make decisions in conflict situations. However, in today’s world, which is increasingly characterized by digital and remote communication, it is still unknown what evolutionary mechanisms may arise for threat detection.
Thus, this article provides interesting evidence of how the fear module was formed in mammals. The related material also identifies several interesting details, which together lead to a fascinating discussion. In particular, snakes acting as unconditioned stimuli are available for visual identification and fight or flight decisions. However, the threats to modern humans are completely different, and scientists have yet to research which evolutionary mechanisms can help in adapting to them. Overall, the paper provides insight into how the fear module works in mammals, which could be the basis for a deeper understanding of the neurobiological aspects of the human species.
References
Adolphs, R. (2013). The biology of fear. Current Biology, 23(2), 79-93. Web.
Öhman, A. (2009). Of snakes and faces: An evolutionary perspective on the psychology of fear. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 50, 543-552. Web.
Öhman, A., & Mineka, S. (2003). The malicious serpent: Snakes as a prototypical stimulus for an evolved module of fear. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(1), 5-9. Web.