Today, the causes of many phobias are as inscrutable as ever – but they were only ‘invented’ in the 19th century.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Fear
Displaying 81 - 100 of 110 articles
Your phobias might just be influencing another’s fears.
Fear is a potent emotion that influences our decision-making. Each presidential candidate has tried to harness it during the last stretch of the campaign.
E-book sales are falling, even though many said they would “kill” print books. Computers and television were also supposed to spell the book’s demise. At one point, people even feared the phonograph.
All the popular monsters you’ll see out trick-or-treating, from Frankenstein to Dracula, were born out of fear and anxiety about change and technology.
Utopia and dystopia are combined in current political thinking, from Donald Trump to the universal basic income.
Even indirect exposure to the terrorist attacks of September 11 has left profound and deep impact on those too young to remember a world before that.
A recent survey suggests that a third of UK parents avoid reading their children scary stories. Is this a worrying trend?
Could their affinity for a certain type of television drama help explain why they’re drawn to his rhetoric?
Two experts in political rhetoric explain how one candidate has used rhetorical devices like framing and ‘argumentum in terrorem’ to stoke fear and attract voters since the Orlando nightclub shooting.
Freezing might have psychological benefits. Many people who “freeze” report little or no memory of the trauma.
Research from the University of Maryland suggests that ‘Trump culture’ is part of human culture, and has its roots in warfare, famine and natural disasters.
Opposition inspires more confidence in one’s position than support and also helps to turn judgments into actions. This helps explain why attack ads are a crucial tool in politicians’ arsenals.
Why thinking about death makes us more religious, conservative and prejudiced.
Our gut reactions to controversial issues like hydraulic fracturing can be powerful, but information can still change our minds.
The best haunted houses push buttons in our brains that evolved long before houses even existed.
Why are atheists deemed as untrustworthy as rapists?
Wingsuit flying might be dangerous but that doesn’t mean all base jumpers are hedonists with a death wish.
Time for politicians to get honest about crime statistics.
Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have evolved to allow us to survive and thrive in complex social environments. Accordingly, the behaviors and emotions that help us navigate our social sphere…
Top contributors
-
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Wayne State University
-
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast
-
Leslie Henderson is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor of Physiology and Neurobiology, Dean of Faculty Affairs, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College
-
Professor and Chair, Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
-
Professor of Psychology, Skidmore College
-
Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology, Knox College
-
Associate professor, University of the Witwatersrand
-
Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide
-
Foundation Director, Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, Deakin University
-
University of Newcastle
-
Research Fellow, University of Exeter, University of Exeter
-
Researcher, Macquarie University
-
Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool
-
Lecturer in Parasitology and Evolutionary Biology, University of New England
-
Cartier Chaired Professor of Behavioural Sciences, Full Professor, Department of Entrepreneurship, ESCP Business School
