How Uncertainty Builds Anxiety

Andy Fell — June 25, 2024 - 11:45am

Alfred Hitchcock observed that “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” A common way to build suspense in a movie scene is for the audience to know something bad is going to happen, but not when it is going to happen. But how does uncertainty work to ratchet up our anxiety? In a recent paper in the journal Computational Psychiatry, researchers at the University of California, Davis, Department of Psychology take a deeper look into what builds fear.

Reef Fish That Conquer Fear of Sharks May Help Control Excess Algae

Katherine E Kerlin — January 12, 2017 - 1:08pm

Coral reef fish experience “landscapes of fear” depending on where and how much shelter from predators is available, according to a �ٺ��Ƶ study. However, the study found that reef fish are willing to move past that fear. They will stray far from their sheltered coral refuge and risk the possibility of being eaten by sharks and other predators if the pay-off in tasty algae is higher.

Fear Content

How Uncertainty Builds Anxiety

Reef Fish That Conquer Fear of Sharks May Help Control Excess Algae