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Updated: Jul 31, 2025

Stress-Enhanced Fear Learning, a Robust Rodent Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Published on: October 13, 2018
Heightened fearfulness as a developmental adaptation
David F Bjorklund1, Carlos Hernández Blasi2
1Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA dbjorklu@fau.eduhttp://www.psy.fau.edu/people/dbjorklu.php.
Abstract:
Although we find many merits to Grossmann's fearful ape hypothesis, unlike Grossmann, we see heightened fearfulness as an ontogenetic adaptation, signaling helplessness and fostering caregiving during infancy, which subsequently became exapted to promote cooperation. We also argue that, rather than being the "breeding ground" for enhanced infant fearfulness, cooperative care is more likely the evolved product of enhanced fearfulness.
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