Fear Fear can torment us rob us of sleep preoccupy our thinking However, fear can be adaptive – it makes us run away from danger, it brings us closer as groups and it protects us from injury and harm.

Learning Fear We learn fear in two ways, either through conditioning and/or through observation. OBJECTIVE 14| State two ways we learn our fears.

The Biology of Fear Some fears are easier to learn than others. The amygdala in the brain associates emotions like fear with certain situations. OBJECTIVE 15| Discuss some of the biological components of fear.

To Get at Emotion, Go Deep... Amygdala is deep within the most elemental parts of the brain. Amygdala: a major structure leading to patterns of physiological change which pause when emotion occurs. The connection is thalamus to cortex to amygdala. Thus, we may have an emotional reaction/response before we’re aware what’s going on. View this chart first and then rapidly move to the next, which shows the amygdala. The following is a good reference for the learner... Diamond, M.C., Scheibel, A.B., and Elson, L.M. (1985). The human brain coloring book. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, a Division of Harper & Row, Publishers. 1-2; 1-3. The main purpose of the innermost part of the brain is survival

The Biology of Fear The amygdala plays a key role in associating various emotions, including fear, with certain situations.

Cognition and Emotion The brain’s shortcut for emotions

Hypothalamus What does it do? Integration of emotional response Forebrain, brain stem, spinal cord Sexual response Endocrine responses neurosecretory oxytocin, vasopressin

Brain Structures That Mediate Emotion Hypothalamus Limbic System limbic cortex amygdala Brainstem

Hypothalamus (Under the thalamus) What is it? A deep brain structure made up of a number of nuclei Where is it? Base of the fore brain Behind the optic chiasm Forms part of the walls of the 3rd ventricle Contiguous with infundibular stalk to pituitary

The Biology of Fear Rabbits fail to react with fear to a signal of impending shock if they have suffered damage to the amygdala

Anxiety “Fear” with the stimulus directly involved “Projective fear” Same response – autonomic system kicks in Fight or flight Constantly on What affect can this have on a human?