Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Preparedness and Phobias01:09

Preparedness and Phobias

Human fear responses to certain stimuli, such as darkness, heights, deep water, and blood, can often arise despite the absence of direct negative experiences. This phenomenon is rooted in evolutionary psychology, which posits that humans have developed a predisposition to fear stimuli that historically posed significant survival threats. This predisposition, known as preparedness, suggests that early humans who developed a fear of potentially dangerous entities, such as venomous snakes and...
Social Anxiety Disorder01:28

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences01:28

Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

Social behavior is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between biological predispositions and environmental influences. This intricate interplay shapes how individuals think, feel, and act in various social contexts. Understanding these mechanisms requires insights from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary theory.Environmental Influences on Social BehaviorEnvironmental factors, including temperature, odors, and visual stimuli, play a crucial role in shaping...
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Impact of Groups on Individuals01:28

Impact of Groups on Individuals

Groups play a fundamental role in shaping individual behavior, as they establish norms that guide interactions and decision-making. Social psychology examines how individuals conform to group expectations, often adjusting their attitudes and actions to align with group norms. These norms can be formal, such as workplace policies, or informal, such as unspoken social expectations within a fraternity.Conformity and Social InfluenceConformity arises when individuals modify their behaviors or...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

People exert more effort to avoid losses than to obtain gains.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2021
Same author

Mathematical Characterization of Changes in Fear During Exposure Therapy.

Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging·2021
Same author

Dopaminergic Disturbances in Tourette Syndrome: An Integrative Account.

Biological psychiatry·2018
Same author

Computational Psychiatry: From Mechanistic Insights to the Development of New Treatments.

Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging·2018
Same author

Premonitory urges and tics in Tourette syndrome: computational mechanisms and neural correlates.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2017
Same author

Theory-Based Computational Psychiatry.

Biological psychiatry·2017

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
05:03

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Published on: December 15, 2023

Fear conditioning and social groups: statistics, not genetics.

Tiago V Maia1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University.

Cognitive Science
|May 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Greater conditioned fear towards out-group members can be explained by optimal Bayesian inference based on prior exposure, not genetic preparedness. This challenges existing theories of fear conditioning and social cognition.

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Computational Psychiatry

Background:

  • Fear conditioning studies show heightened responses to out-group faces.
  • This has been attributed to an innate genetic preparedness to fear different social groups.
  • However, prior stimulus exposure significantly impacts conditioned responses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether optimal Bayesian inference, considering prior exposure, can explain differential fear conditioning.
  • To challenge the genetic preparedness theory for intergroup fear learning.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a Kalman filter, a normative statistical model.
  • Modeled participants' learning processes as optimal Bayesian inference.
  • Incorporated prior exposure data to different social groups.

More Related Videos

Modified Fear Conditioning for Inducing Flight Behaviors in Mice
04:03

Modified Fear Conditioning for Inducing Flight Behaviors in Mice

Published on: December 15, 2023

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice
19:32

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice

Published on: March 1, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
05:03

Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes

Published on: December 15, 2023

Modified Fear Conditioning for Inducing Flight Behaviors in Mice
04:03

Modified Fear Conditioning for Inducing Flight Behaviors in Mice

Published on: December 15, 2023

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice
19:32

Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning Test Using a Video Analyzing System in Mice

Published on: March 1, 2014

Main Results:

  • Superior fear conditioning to out-group faces is predicted by the Bayesian inference model.
  • The model accurately accounts for differential fear responses based on prior exposure.
  • No need to invoke genetic preparedness to explain the findings.

Conclusions:

  • Differential fear conditioning to out-group members can be explained by statistical learning principles.
  • Optimal Bayesian inference provides a parsimonious explanation for intergroup fear.
  • The findings suggest that learned associations, not innate predispositions, drive these fear responses.