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fear response

a response to a threat in which the threatened organism attempts to guard vulnerable vital organs and to protect itself. In addition to these protective functions, the fear response is aimed at removing the person or animal from the threatening situation, by overt withdrawal, by coping behaviors (e.g., shutting the eyes to avoid seeing the fear stimulus), or by remaining motionless. Physiological responses vary depending on the situation and the proximity of the threat. See also fight-or-flight response; freezing behavior.

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Psychology term of the day

March 13th 2025

temporal lobe

temporal lobe

one of the four main subdivisions of each cerebral hemisphere in the brain, lying immediately below the lateral sulcus on the outer surface of each hemisphere. It contains the auditory projection and auditory association areas and also areas for higher order visual processing. The medial temporal lobe contains regions important for memory formation.