The Importance Of The Amygdala And Fear Response

Amygdala and Fear Response The amygdala is located in the brain’s temporal lobe and enables us to feel certain emotions. It is our emotions that make us human and it helps in connecting us with one another. One of the most important emotions that the amygdala is responsible for is our fear response. Flight-or-fight is crucial for the survival of any living being, i.e. when an animal feels cornered and threatened, their body will respond by preparing them to flee, if able, or attack. Several studies have been conducted to study different aspects of fear and the amygdala. A team of researchers from New York University wanted to discover what makes screams so frightening. The team collected over a dozen scream samples from volunteers and

The researchers also found that the higher the pitch of a scream (e.g. ambulance siren), the scarier it is. Damage to the amygdala can affect an individual’s ability to process emotion, including fear response. The human amygdala plays “a crucial role in developing fear responses to conditioned threats” (Klumpers, Morgan, Terburg, Stein, & van Honk, 2015). Without the amygdala (or a functioning amygdala), we would not be able to express ourselves through emotions (i.e. facial expressions) nor could we perceive others’ emotions. By expressing ourselves, it allows us to connect and relate to the people around

Individuals who are found to have antisocial personality disorder often exhibit patterns of manipulating or violating the rights of others, lack of regard for the law, lack concern for others, no control over their rage, and they lack guilt for any wrongdoings committed, among other signs. A person with APD will typically have a history of violence, aggressiveness, law-breaking, and deceitfulness dating back to childhood. APD is most common in men than in women. When considering criminal serial killers, people often state that these men they thought they knew were charming, sincere, and the ideal neighbor, but the truth is, it was just a façade masking cruel hatred. Three well-known serial killers that were diagnosed with having antisocial personality disorder are Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, and John Wayne