Fear Reaction

Definition

A fear reaction is the body's automatic response to a perceived threat or danger, characterized by physiological changes such as increased heart rate, sweating, and heightened alertness.

Related terms

Fight-or-flight response: The fight-or-flight response is an immediate physiological reaction triggered by a perceived threat, preparing the body to either confront the threat or flee from it.

Amygdala:

The amygdala is a small structure in the brain responsible for processing emotions, including fear responses.

Conditioning:

Conditioning refers to the process of learning associations between stimuli and responses. In relation to fear reactions, conditioning can occur when a neutral stimulus (e.g., spider) becomes associated with fear due to prior negative experiences.