Imagine surviving just because you were too sad to fight for something you wanted, or obtaining something simply because you didn't try as hard as other people? That is where the Social Risk Hypothesis fits in.
What is it?
The social risk hypothesis states that depression anxiety are useful because mental illness keeps social structure intact for the reason that those feelings aid with keeping people alive (Dunn et.al). The social risk hypothesis states that mental illness causes a person to know that he or she is starting from a lower rank thus minimizing their desire to fit in.
How does it relate to our behavior?
Hierarchy
Whether we like to admit it or not, all animals both human and non-human perform in a hierarchy.The social risk hypothesis demonstrates that if two alpha males or woman both of whom are mentally healthy are both competing for the same job, neither will become.submissive, thus resulting in fierce competitive behavior which may result in physical fighting or both losing the job due to bring drama into their work environment. In the same scenario, however, if one of the males has depression or anxiety, it will grant one of those males to surrender, allowing the other person have the job or the thus avoiding termination, or injury.
Overcoming fears may lead to death
In psychiatry numerous forms of therapy assist us with "overcoming our fears." However, if we paid attention to the social risk hypothesis, we would discover that these fears keep us alive by forcing us to avoid harm.It is silly to think that we must override thousands of years of evolution just because it doesn't suit others (who think they are perfect) and their ideal of proper behavior. A great example of the Social Risk Hypothesis is two alpha males attempting to fight resulting in an injury; rather than a male leaving unharmed due to backing down because of anxiety. Although society would have us believe otherwise, admitting defeat is useful to our survival as a person and a species. Retreating could possibly not seem beneficial short term but observing anxiety and depression and its catalyst in keeping us alive by inhibiting our impulses which could have resulted in our death.
Anxiety and chickening out saved Cheryl Bradshaw's life
A great example of the social risk hypothesis is when Cheryl Bradshaw appeared on game show The Dating Game in 1978 (Blanco. n.d). An attractive male won the game due to his charming nature and witty answers. When it was time for the fate she stayed home for the reason she said something was amiss. To keep up with the current pill-popping fad, she probably would pop a Xanax and go on her date for we are taught to never fear anything. However, if she gone on that date she would have been murdered as the man, whose name was Rodney Alcala, happened to be an infamous serial killer who killed 5 women, 2 before he appeared on the show (Blanco. n.d). Had she ignored her fears to go on that date she would have been murdered, showing us that social risk hypothesis has merit and sometimes mental “illnesses” are beneficial.
References & more info:
Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Rodney Alcala. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/alcala-rodney.htm
Dunn, C. Joshua, Whelton, J. William, Sharpe, D. (2012). Evolution & Human Behavior. Volume 33 (Issue 6) , pp.746 - 758. Retreating to safety: testing the social risk hypothesis model of depression - Evolution and Human Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S1090-5138(12)00063-3/abstract)
The social risk hypothesis states that depression anxiety are useful because mental illness keeps social structure intact for the reason that those feelings aid with keeping people alive (Dunn et.al). The social risk hypothesis states that mental illness causes a person to know that he or she is starting from a lower rank thus minimizing their desire to fit in.
How does it relate to our behavior?
Hierarchy
Whether we like to admit it or not, all animals both human and non-human perform in a hierarchy.The social risk hypothesis demonstrates that if two alpha males or woman both of whom are mentally healthy are both competing for the same job, neither will become.submissive, thus resulting in fierce competitive behavior which may result in physical fighting or both losing the job due to bring drama into their work environment. In the same scenario, however, if one of the males has depression or anxiety, it will grant one of those males to surrender, allowing the other person have the job or the thus avoiding termination, or injury.
Overcoming fears may lead to death
In psychiatry numerous forms of therapy assist us with "overcoming our fears." However, if we paid attention to the social risk hypothesis, we would discover that these fears keep us alive by forcing us to avoid harm.It is silly to think that we must override thousands of years of evolution just because it doesn't suit others (who think they are perfect) and their ideal of proper behavior. A great example of the Social Risk Hypothesis is two alpha males attempting to fight resulting in an injury; rather than a male leaving unharmed due to backing down because of anxiety. Although society would have us believe otherwise, admitting defeat is useful to our survival as a person and a species. Retreating could possibly not seem beneficial short term but observing anxiety and depression and its catalyst in keeping us alive by inhibiting our impulses which could have resulted in our death.
Anxiety and chickening out saved Cheryl Bradshaw's life
A great example of the social risk hypothesis is when Cheryl Bradshaw appeared on game show The Dating Game in 1978 (Blanco. n.d). An attractive male won the game due to his charming nature and witty answers. When it was time for the fate she stayed home for the reason she said something was amiss. To keep up with the current pill-popping fad, she probably would pop a Xanax and go on her date for we are taught to never fear anything. However, if she gone on that date she would have been murdered as the man, whose name was Rodney Alcala, happened to be an infamous serial killer who killed 5 women, 2 before he appeared on the show (Blanco. n.d). Had she ignored her fears to go on that date she would have been murdered, showing us that social risk hypothesis has merit and sometimes mental “illnesses” are beneficial.
References & more info:
Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Rodney Alcala. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/alcala-rodney.htm
Dunn, C. Joshua, Whelton, J. William, Sharpe, D. (2012). Evolution & Human Behavior. Volume 33 (Issue 6) , pp.746 - 758. Retreating to safety: testing the social risk hypothesis model of depression - Evolution and Human Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S1090-5138(12)00063-3/abstract)