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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Behav Sci. 2018 Mar 4;24:38–43. doi: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.02.007

Figure 3. A simple diagram of the natural structure of fear.

Figure 3

The fear system is functionally divisible to genetically hardwired innate fear and biologically predisposed learned fear. Innate responses, such as freezing and escaping, counter immediate threats, while learned responses, such as alterations in foraging area and time, lessen/prepare encountering future threats. Naturally, the two fear systems interact to maximize survivability.