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Extending and refining the fearful ape hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2023

Tobias Grossmann Open the ORCID record for Tobias Grossmann [Opens in a new window]
Tobias Grossmann*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA grossmann@virginia.edu
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Abstract

The fearful ape hypothesis (FAH) presents an evolutionary-developmental framework stipulating that in the context of cooperative caregiving, unique to human great ape group life, heightened fearfulness was adaptive. This is because from early in human ontogeny fearfulness expressed and perceived enhanced care-based responding and cooperation with mothers and others. This response extends and refines the FAH by incorporating the commentaries' suggestions and additional lines of empirical work, providing a more comprehensive and nuanced version of the FAH. Specifically, it encourages and hopes to inspire cross-species and cross-cultural, longitudinal work elucidating evolutionary and developmental functions of fear in context. Beyond fear, it can be seen as a call for an evolutionary-developmental approach to affective science.

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Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 46 , 2023 , e81
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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