It is fairly easy to condition monkeys and humans to fear snakes but almost impossible to condition either to fear a flower. This supports the ________ theory of phobias.
A) classical conditioning
B) vicarious conditioning
C) preparedness
D) psychoanalytic

Question

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The fact that monkeys and humans can easily develop a fear of snakes, but not flowers, supports the preparedness theory of phobias. This theory suggests that certain fears are innate and biologically prepared. In other words, humans and other animals are naturally inclined to fear certain stimuli, such as snakes, spiders, and heights, because these stimuli were once associated with dangerous or potentially life-threatening situations in our evolutionary past. Classic conditioning (A) and vicarious conditioning (B) can both play a role in the development of phobias, but they do not fully explain why certain stimuli are more likely to provoke fear. The psychoanalytic perspective (D) might explore the unconscious origins of fear, but it does not provide a clear explanation for why specific stimuli are more likely to provoke fear.

It Is Fairly Easy to Condition Monkeys and Humans to Fear