Fear and anxiety

Abstract

Fear and anxiety feel different. The different lexical labels attached to these discrete emotions reflect a subjective understanding of their distinction. But emotions are more than just feelings, and this chapter journeys far beyond the subjective experiences of fear versus anxiety. The processes these different emotions evoke are supported by distinct neural substrates and carry divergent consequences for behavior, cognition, and subsequent emotional responding. Their distinction matters. This chapter draws from theoretical and recent experimental work using cutting-edge research methodologies to describe what makes fear different from anxiety and how they uniquely influence different forms of psychopathology.