Editing Fear (section)

=== Conditioning ===
{{Main|Fear conditioning}}

Nonhuman animals and humans innovate specific fears as a result of learning. This has been studied in psychology as [[fear conditioning]], beginning with John B. Watson's [[Little Albert experiment]] in 1920, which was inspired after observing a child with an irrational fear of dogs. In this study, an 11-month-old boy was conditioned to fear a white rat in the laboratory. The fear became generalized to include other white, furry objects, such as a rabbit, dog, and even a Santa Claus mask with white cotton balls in the beard.

Fear can be learned by experiencing or watching a frightening [[Psychological trauma|traumatic]] accident. For example, a child falling into a well and struggling to get out may develop a fear of wells, heights ([[acrophobia]]), enclosed spaces ([[claustrophobia]]), or water ([[aquaphobia]]). There are studies looking at areas of the brain that are affected in relation to fear. When looking at these areas (such as the [[amygdala]]), it was proposed that a person learns to fear regardless of whether they themselves have experienced trauma, or if they have observed the fear in others. In a study completed by Andreas Olsson, Katherine I. Nearing and Elizabeth A. Phelps, the amygdala were affected both when subjects observed someone else being submitted to an aversive event, knowing that the same treatment awaited themselves, and when subjects were subsequently placed in a fear-provoking situation.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Olsson A, Nearing KI, Phelps EA | title = Learning fears by observing others: the neural systems of social fear transmission | journal = Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience | volume = 2 | issue = 1 | pages = 3–11 | date = March 2007 | pmid = 18985115 | pmc = 2555428 | doi = 10.1093/scan/nsm005 }}</ref> This suggests that fear can develop in both conditions, not just simply from personal history.

Fear is affected by cultural and historical context. For example, in the early 20th century, many Americans feared [[polio]], a disease that can lead to paralysis.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001402.htm |title=Polio: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia |access-date=2017-01-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129024916/https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001402.htm |archive-date=2017-01-29 }}</ref> There are consistent cross-cultural differences in how people respond to fear.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kim K, Markman AB |title=Differences in Fear of Isolation as an explanation of Cultural Differences: Evidence from memory and reasoning |journal=Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |date=3 May 2005 |volume=42 |issue=3 |pages=350–364 |doi=10.1016/j.jesp.2005.06.005 }}</ref> [[Display rules]] affect how likely people are to express the facial expression of fear and other emotions.

Fear of [[Victimisation|victimization]] is a function of perceived risk and seriousness of potential harm.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Fear of Victimization: A Look at the Proximate Causes|journal= Social Forces |year=1983|volume= 61 |issue=4|pages= 1033–1043 | doi=10.1093/sf/61.4.1033| author1 = Warr M |author2= Stafford M }}</ref>