Articles tagged with Fear
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A new study by Western University found that smaller carnivores like European badgers fear humans more than their traditional enemies, leading to altered ecosystem processes. This discovery highlights the impact of human activity on wildlife and conservation efforts.
A study found that parvalbumin-interneurons in the amygdala regulate emotional reactivity by suppressing surrounding neurons. This inhibitory plasticity is a normal consequence of memory encoding, but dysregulation may lead to hyperexcitability and pathological fear expression.
Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles have discovered a new genetic candidate for testing therapies that may affect fear learning in people with PTSD or other conditions. The study found that the Hcn1 gene plays a significant role in regulating anxiety and fear responses.
Researchers have found that the human amygdala can detect threats in the visual environment at extremely fast time scales, even before receiving precise visual input from the neocortex. This discovery has implications for our understanding of pathologies such as phobias and anxiety, where the amygdala plays a key role.
A recent study from the University of Vermont found that a simple IVR system can encourage primary care doctors to discuss patients' drinking habits. Over half of participants reported having the discussion, and those who did were more likely to receive an alcohol-related recommendation from their provider.
Researchers found that mice with lower adiponectin levels cannot overcome fear after a scary stimulus. Increasing adiponectin levels or activating its receptors might facilitate extinction-based exposure treatments for PTSD and other trauma-related disorders.
A study from the University of Leicester found that women who feel more at risk of crime tend to be attracted to physically dominant men. The researchers suggest that this attraction is not based on a desire for protection, but rather a psychological mechanism related to feelings of vulnerability.
A UCLA psychology study concludes that many people oppose same-sex marriage due to perceived promiscuity among gay individuals, threatening their own marriages and way of life. The researchers measured attitudes and found a strong association between gay couples and the concept of promiscuity.
A study by SF State researchers found that individuals experiencing anger, contempt and disgust are more likely to act aggressively towards those they disagree with. The study suggests that identifying the specific emotional mix that leads to aggression can help prevent hostile behavior.
A small study found that watching horror movies significantly increased blood coagulant factor VIII levels in young and healthy adults, suggesting a physiological response to fear. The researchers argue that this increase is an evolutionary adaptation to prepare the body for blood loss during life-threatening situations.
Researchers found that investors who experienced intense positive emotions before trading were more aggressive and pushed prices up, while those with negative emotions proceeded cautiously. This study increases understanding of how bubbles work and highlights the importance of considering emotional triggers in asset price inflation.
A comprehensive meta-analysis found fear-based appeals to be effective in changing attitudes and intentions, with the greatest impact on women and one-time behaviors. The study also confirmed that fear appeals can lead to significant change across the board, although the effect is small.
The Chapman University Survey of American Fears reveals the top 10 things Americans fear most, including government corruption, cyber-terrorism, and economic collapse. Nearly a fourth of Americans report engaging in actions driven by fear, such as voting for a candidate or purchasing a gun.
The TV show 'Freak Show' forces audiences to confront intellectual fears about difference, diversity and change, from voyeuristic appeal to reflection on who might be the 'real' freak. The series explores what it means to be 'abnormal' or an anomaly, challenging stereotypes and promoting empathy.
A new Caltech study reports that fruit flies display emotion primitives analogous to fear, including valence, persistence, scalability, trans-situationality, and context generalization. The researchers used a fear-inducing stimulus to track the flies' responses, finding that they exhibited these primitive states in their behavior.
Researchers studied flies' response to shadows, finding that they display persistent defensive behavior, generalizable across contexts. The study suggests that flies may help understand the fundamental neurochemistry of fear and emotions.
Researchers have identified two brain circuits that play a crucial role in encoding positive and negative learned associations in mice. The study found that one circuit promotes reward-driven behaviors, while the other drives avoidance behavior.
A team of researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has identified a new pathway that controls fear memories and behavior in the mouse brain. The discovery, published in Nature, reveals that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus plays a critical role in regulating fear learning and memory.
A Tel Aviv University study found that fear of terrorism can lead to anxiety-related insomnia, depleting vital resources and paving the way for occupational burnout. Workplace colleagues' emotional and technical support played a crucial role in reversing insomnia and job burnout.
A new study found that long-term exposure to terrorism threat increases resting heart rates and mortality risk in Israelis. The study, conducted on 17,300 healthy subjects, reveals a link between fear of terror and elevated heart rates.
Researchers discovered that neurons in the amygdala, responsible for processing fearful experiences, lose their ability to discriminate between safe and dangerous stimuli when an individual exhibits generalized fear. This loss of discrimination leads to a state of hyperarousal and intense anxiety.
Researchers found that the brain separates emotional responses from explicit memories of fear, leading to uncontrolled emotional reactions in post-traumatic stress disorder. This study may help develop new therapeutic strategies for these disorders.
A study found that sadness lasts up to 240 times longer than shame, surprise, or boredom, likely due to its association with significant life events. Researchers discovered that emotions associated with low event importance have shorter durations.
Researchers identified theta and beta wave activity associated with fear processing in the brain, including early increases in theta activity and a left lateralized desynchronization of the beta band. This study provides insight into how the brain prioritizes threatening information over other cognitive processes.
Researchers found that frontal EEG lateralization is a key indicator of emotional flexibility, with left-sided lateralization associated with flexible responses and right-sided lateralization linked to inflexible ones. The study suggests that training can improve left-sided lateralization and enhance emotional flexibility.
Researchers discovered that mother rats can transmit fears to their babies through odor, which could explain how traumatic experiences affect children long after birth. The study pinpointed the brain area responsible for learning these fears and suggests potential interventions to prevent irrational fear responses.
A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that brands can act as a replacement source of emotional attachment when a person-to-person support system is not available. Researchers discovered that exposure to fear can increase positive emotional brand attachment, leading to stronger consumer connections with brands.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified a novel neural circuit linking the amygdala with the brainstem's fear response center. This discovery sheds light on how fear is translated into behavioral responses, paving the way for potential treatments of anxiety disorders like PTSD.
LeDoux highlights the confusion in neuroscience research on fear, conflation of behavioral and physiological responses, and how this affects the development of effective treatments for anxiety disorders. He calls for greater precision in defining fear to enhance existing scholarship and create superior remedies.
Researchers found that watching a movie clip of someone safely interacting with a feared object can significantly reduce the fear response and prevent relapse. This type of vicarious social learning may be more effective than direct personal experience in extinguishing phobic fears.
NYU researchers discovered that even mild stress can hinder therapeutic techniques for controlling emotions, including cognitive restructuring. The study found that stress undermines the effectiveness of these techniques, making it challenging to reduce fear and anxiety in real-life situations.
Researchers found that mice lacking the monoamine oxidase A and B enzymes displayed increased fear and generalized phobia to new contexts. This study suggests a correlation between MAO enzyme deficiency and autistic-like features, highlighting potential avenues for developing interventions for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Researchers found that fine emotional learning tasks produce greater learning specificity in mice, improving pitch discrimination abilities. The study established a link between emotions and perception of the world, with effects mediated by brain regions including the amygdala and auditory cortex.
Researchers have identified a compound that can reduce PTSD-like symptoms in mice after they are exposed to stress, suggesting a potential new treatment. The discovery is based on the finding that morphine administration may lower the risk of developing PTSD by affecting fear learning.
Movshon's work on visual processing and amblyopia has shed light on the neural basis of blindness. He is recognized for his studies on the organization and function of area V1, a key region in the brain's cerebral cortex.
Researchers found that widened eyes provide a wider visual field, enhancing the ability to locate potential threats. Additionally, wide-eyed expressions send a clearer gaze signal, benefiting observers' ability to pinpoint the same threat.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that people with persistent negative attitudes towards feared objects or events are more likely to experience a return of their fear after exposure therapy. The study developed a tool to evaluate attitudes immediately after treatment and suggests that attitude change is key to lasting recovery.
Spanish researchers analyzed 20 babies' crying patterns to identify emotions behind tears, finding differences in eye activity and dynamics. Pain is the most easily recognized emotion, causing intense affective reactions.
A recent study by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory researchers has identified a specific class of neurons in the central amygdala as crucial for encoding and recalling fear memories. The team used optogenetics to activate these neurons, which release neurotransmitters that enhance or inhibit synaptic connections, leading to fear responses.
Studies show that when faced with a threat, our bodies respond with fight-or-flight responses and engage perceptual biases to misperceive objects as being closer. However, this effect is absent in cases of disgust. These findings support the threat-signal hypothesis, suggesting that perception can be biased to promote functional action.
A new study found that many high school football players are not concerned about concussions and don't report their symptoms due to fear of being excluded from play. The survey showed that only a marginal change in behaviors and concerns for health consequences has occurred despite increased media attention.
A study published in Current Biology found that fear can alter basic aspects of how we perceive the world around us. Researchers used an experiment to test the effect of fear on time-to-collision judgments, showing that participants tended to underestimate collision times for threatening objects.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that adolescents' brains have impaired fear extinction learning, making it difficult for them to overcome fear. This may explain why anxiety and depression rates surge during adolescence.
A new UCLA psychology study found that labeling emotions at the precise moment of confrontation can reduce fear and anxiety. The researchers asked participants with a fear of spiders to approach and touch a large tarantula, with results showing those who described their emotions were able to get closer and experience less distress.
A study found that people drove more after 9/11, with increases strongly associated with greater driving opportunity. This suggests that fear alone may not be enough to change behavior, and environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping our actions.
A new study at Northwestern University found that a single brief therapy session for adults with a lifelong debilitating spider phobia resulted in lasting changes to the brain's response to fear. Participants were able to touch or hold a tarantula in their bare hands six months after treatment, showing the effectiveness of short exposu...
A study published in PLoS ONE found that people's fear levels toward threats are associated with the typical size of their social circles. The researchers determined that this effect was not due to a lack of differentiation between small and large groups, suggesting that social circle size plays a significant role in shaping our percep...
A study in Spain reveals that job insecurity negatively impacts work performance and overall satisfaction in personal and professional lives. The impact varies across occupational groups, with blue-collar workers exhibiting the most significant dissatisfaction.
Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux suggests that studying animal survival instincts can provide insights into human emotions. By analyzing brain functions used for survival, researchers may gain new understandings of both humans' and animals' emotional responses.
Researchers found that individuals with a fear of spiders perceive the spiders as larger than they really are, which can lead to avoidance and persistence of the phobia. This warped perception doesn't necessarily interfere with daily living but can impact treatment outcomes.
Researchers identified a genetic link between fear and anxiety disorders like PTSD, revealing two distinct types of PTSD symptoms and potential treatments for each. The study suggests that genetic predispositions can affect resilience to traumatic experiences.
A new study challenges the common notion that the amygdala is solely responsible for fear responses. Research suggests the amygdala processes events related to a person's current concerns, not just fear. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of emotions and brain function.
New research by the University of Exeter suggests that our subconscious plays a significant role in how we respond to danger. Participants in the study showed a primitive response to fear-inducing stimuli, contradicting their conscious assessments of danger. This finding has implications for anxiety disorders and treatment.
A new study examines the relationship between observed workplace incivility towards same-gender colleagues and negative emotions. Female employees who witness rudeness towards female colleagues experience higher levels of anger, demoralization, fear, and anxiety. In contrast, male observers are more affected by observing uncivil behavi...
A recent study by Dr. Christian A. Vaccaro and colleagues found that successful mixed martial arts competitors have distinct ways of managing fear to convey a social identity to others. This 'managing emotional manhood' allows men to evoke confidence, pride, and dominance in their opponents.
A recent study has visualized the path of a sensory stimulus in the brain during fear learning and identified the underlying neuronal circuits. The researchers found that the cortex is essential for processing fear and anxiety, and that disinhibition of the cortical microcircuit facilitates formation of memory.
A new study found that fear of childbirth is a predisposing factor for emergency and elective cesarean sections. The research analyzed 353 women with fear of childbirth and 579 without the condition, revealing a higher incidence of traumatic deliveries and induced inductions.
Researchers found that the risk of death from CO2 poisoning is about one in 100 million. The study also suggests that engineered gas storage underground could be even safer due to planning and monitoring.
A study published in PLOS ONE reveals how the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii alters rodent fear responses to attract them towards cat odors. Infected rodents exhibit increased neural activity in regions associated with sexual attraction, suggesting a link between fear and attraction.
Researchers from the University of Toronto and University of Guelph argue that incorporating employee engagement into performance management is crucial for improving both. The authors identify three psychological conditions – meaningfulness, safety, and availability – that support personal engagement. By focusing on these conditions, o...