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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 22, 2026

A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior

A Novel Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Paradigm to Study Freezing and Flight Behavior

Published on: January 5, 2021

How Temporal Predictability of Threat and Action Preparation Affect Defensive Freezing Responses.

Alina Koppold^1,2, Mana R Ehlers^1,2, Alexandros Kastrinogiannis^2,3

¹University of Bielefeld, Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Bielefeld, Germany.

Psychophysiology

|March 21, 2026

Summary

Defensive responses to threat involve freezing-like behavior and action preparation. Unpredictable threats did not alter freezing or skin conductance, suggesting a generalized defensive mode.

Keywords:

action preparation freezing‐like behavior psychophysiology threat imminence unpredictability

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Last Updated: Mar 22, 2026

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Physiology

Background:

Defensive responses are crucial for survival.
Freezing-like behavior is linked to action preparation under threat.
The impact of unpredictable threats on this mechanism is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how temporal threat predictability influences freezing-like behavior and action preparation.
To examine physiological and behavioral responses under varying threat conditions.

Main Methods:

A modified paradigm assessed freezing-like behavior using postural sway and heart rate.
Multimodal approach included skin conductance, electromyography, behavioral performance, and subjective ratings.
A large sample (n=235) participated under conditions of temporal threat predictability, unpredictability, and safety.

Main Results:

Behavioral performance showed faster but less accurate responses under threat compared to safety.
Physiological responses included parasympathetic (postural freezing) and sympathetic (skin conductance) activation during threat.
Temporal threat unpredictability did not modulate freezing-like behavior or skin conductance.

Conclusions:

Action preparation under threat involves concurrent parasympathetic and sympathetic activation.
A generalized defensive mode may prioritize readiness over specificity when facing unpredictable threats.
Findings align with animal models of freezing behavior.