The Biology of Fear
This prehistoric survival mechanism prepares humans to either confront danger or run away.
What is the fight-or-flight response?
Dr. Kerr notes that people can enjoy a threat response as long as they know they are in one of these.
What is a safe place?
Fear in a group setting helps trigger the formation of these, which are particularly strong.
What are memories?
A noun meaning a state of intense happiness or excitement; the "high" felt after a scare.
What is euphoria?
This term describes the writer's attitude toward their subject, which can range from friendly to technical.
What is tone?
This hormone, also known as adrenaline, is released to trigger "superpowers" like increased speed and strength.
What is epinephrine?
According to Kerr, the fear response acts as this by "tamping down" our conscious thinking about daily worries like groceries.
What is a distraction?
This feeling of "shared intensity" can trick friends into thinking they achieved a goal, even if they just paid $20 for this activity.
What is a corn maze?
An adjective describing thinking that is done with critical awareness.
What is conscious?
"Raining cats and dogs" is an example of this—a common expression where the words don't mean their literal definition
What is an idiom?
This is why our ancestors who lacked a fear response didn't survive: they didn't get "points" for being this when facing hyenas.
What is "super chill"?
This term refers to the feeling of having successfully "stressed ourselves and came out okay" after a scary event.
What is a sense of achievement (or accomplishment)?
The text suggests that being with friends who do this can turn a hesitant person's fear into a great experience.
What is supporting you?
A noun referring to the capacity to act or exert power; personal control over a situation.
What is agency?
The authors use this type of informal diction when they say someone is "shaking in your boots.
What is conversational (or simple/slangy) diction?
Physical changes during fear include an increased heart rate and more of this being delivered to the muscles via blood.
What is oxygen?
Dr. Kerr emphasizes that for an experience to be positive, a person must have this, meaning they aren't being coerced.
What is personal agency?
Feeling scared often happens when someone is dragged into a haunted house by these types of people.
Who are well-meaning friends or family?
This word describes a fear response that, for some people, results in a "quiver" that makes them feel sick.
What is nausea-inducing?
Formal diction usually avoids these, while the conversational style of "Dear Science" includes them (e.g., "don't" or "it's").
What are contractions?
Science journalist Jeff Wise described the high-arousal fear response as the biological equivalent of this mechanical action.
What is "opening the throttle"?
Besides writing about fear, Dr. Kerr has applied her research to the real world by helping to design these.
What are haunted houses?
When fear is shared, the switch from screaming to this often happens in less than a second once the brain realizes it's safe.
What is laughing?
The article defines this as a state that, while negative, can feel amazing if it doesn't "utterly wreck you physically."
What is a "high arousal" response?
These two words - "conscious" and "conscience" - share two similar word parts. Name the word parts, and explain the difference between the meanings of these two words.
Word parts: con- "together" & -scire "know"
Conscious = to be awake
Conscience = inner voice; guide of right and wrong