Issued Date: 23.08.2022
Published Date: 26.08.22
Author Affiliations: Anil Thomas
Co-Author Affiliations: Ritika Goswami
Abstract
As human beings, we know anything because it gets reflected on our senses - “I know this bag is black because I can see that it is black” or “I know the music is loud because I can hear that the music is loud.” There is a connection present with our senses, and this connection goes up to the brain. The brain interprets the data that the senses have sent and accordingly commands the associated systems in the body to respond. Fear is our response to threatening situations, while arousal is a state of vigilance that allows us to respond to a situation either by retreating from it or seeking it as a source of pleasure. The chemical response to both states leads to confusion, because neurotransmitters involved in fear and arousal are the same, i.e., norepinephrine and dopamine. This research paper studies 75 adult participants who answered a questionnaire on verbal abuse and emotional negligence that had taken place during their childhood. We understand the unconscious arousal that covers a fear response in an abusive situation leading to a victim enduring their abuser obediently. The questionnaire used to conduct this research was generated by the authors. It consists of 3 subscales and each item is carefully fabricated to understand different aspects of childhood abuse, Arousal and its impact on adult relationships. The results of this study have indicated positive correlations among all three subscales, hence proving the hypothesis that one might get seduced into loyalty from what they fear.
Keywords:
Fear, Arousal, Amygdala, Abuse