An Evolutionary Hypothesis for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Psychological Immune System?
A new hypothesis is presented within the framework of evolutionary psychology that attempts to explain the origins of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is suggested that obsessions and compulsions originate from the overactivity of a mental module that the majority of humans possess and has the func...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
1999-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioural Neurology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/1999/657382 |
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| Summary: | A new hypothesis is presented within the framework of evolutionary psychology that attempts to explain the origins of obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is suggested that obsessions and compulsions originate from the overactivity of a mental module that the majority of humans possess and has the function of generating risk scenarios without voluntary intervention. It is hypothesised that obsessional phenomena function as an off-line risk avoidance process, designed to lead to risk avoidance behaviour at a future time, thus distinguishing it from anxiety and related phenomena as on-line emotional states, designed to lead to the avoidance of immediate and direct risks. Finally, the hypothesis makes a number of specific predictions that are testable and refutable. It is contended that the present hypothesis if supported by empirical evidence could serve as a basis for future research on this important disorder. |
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| ISSN: | 0953-4180 1875-8584 |