Development of the Human Brain. Psychology helps explain why we're seeing wild market swings to the upside and downside. Explain the structure of the major layers of the brain. How does it influence our decisions, and how can it be overcome? People often interpret intrusive cognitions in negative ways. Feeling fear is neither abnormal nor a sign of weakness: The capacity to be afraid is part of normal brain function. Psychology: What Causes Fear? A sleep scientist answers This post is part of TED’s “How to Be a Better Human” series, each of which contains a piece of helpful advice from people in the TED community; browse through … Jennifer Cox, associate professor of psychology at The University of Alabama, has some answers. Learning Objectives. While fear-arousal comes from the amygdala, it seems that anxiety is associated with a part of the brain known as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Skip to … Is sleeping in separate beds bad for your relationship? Structure and Function of the Brain. There are also softer responses throughout the spectrum and fear may be felt as a positive or negative experience. In fact, a lack of fear may be a sign of serious brain damage. Intrusive thoughts feature in a variety of different problems including anxiety and OCD. Some people will actively seek out this fear while others will avoid it at all costs. Fear, Anxiety & the Brain (Physiology) Garrett Ray Harriman 32.5K reads To understand and cope with these emotions in your life, you must first learn the basic physiological patterns that they follow. The Psychology of Fear: Exploring the Science Behind Horror Entertainment Posted August 10, 2016 | By Tricia Hussung. The surprising connection between brain injuries and crime Posted Apr 2019 See all 153 talks on Psychology. Author information: (1)Psychology Section, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. The mental processes and behaviors studied by psychology are directly controlled by the brain, one of the most complex systems in nature. But what exactly is fear? Psychology helps explain why we're seeing wild market swings to the upside and downside. Key Takeaways Key Points. 2. Fear haunts all of us. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies. The cerebral cortex, the brain's center for reasoning and judgment, is the area that becomes impaired when the amygdala senses fear. Exclusive articles about Psychology. Fear could be characterized as a general unconscious feeling of unpleasantness or could be more complex emotion such as anxiety and externalized fear. We can fear needles, what lurks in dark forests, fire, looking at our bank accounts, our neighbors, wondering about our unknown futures.