How does fear differ from anxiety regarding threat identification?
Fear is typically a reaction to an immediate, identifiable threat, while anxiety often involves apprehension about a potential or future threat.
Both fear and anxiety are categorized as negative affects and typically involve high arousal, functioning to detect threats and prompt avoidance behaviors. However, the temporal focus of the threat distinguishes them. Fear is generally triggered by something concrete and present in the immediate environment that demands rapid protective action. Anxiety, in contrast, centers on uncertainty and involves apprehension directed toward events that might happen later or threats whose origins are not clearly defined at the moment. Understanding this nuance in timing informs appropriate motivational responses.
