Fight-or-Flight Response - Psychology Definition of the Week

Definition: The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a psychological reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically. The fight-or-flight response was first described in the 1920s by American physiologist Walter Cannon. Cannon realized that a chain of rapidly occurring reactions inside the body help mobilize the body's resources to deal with threatening circumstances. Learn more about the fight-or-flight response.

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_{Image courtesy Piotr Bizior}