Maman 11
Monsters Evolve: A Biocultural Approach to Horror Stories

Questions based on paragraphs 1 – 4
1a. Which ONE MAIN question does the author attempt to answer in this text?
Why would anyone willingly expose himself or herself to such aversive, outlandish nonsense; what is the appeal of supernatural monsters and moaning ghosts?
(6 points)
1b. What is the author's answer to this question?
By taking into account evolved cognitive architecture, a bio-cultural approach offsets the tendency toward cultural determinism inherent in the widespread socio-constructivist approach to horror . Human cognition has been fine-tuned by natural selection to deal with dangers in the environment, and horror fiction depends crucially on this mental machinery.