Stan has been extremely afraid of cats since he was scratched as a 5-year-old. Whenever he sees a cat, he remembers the time he was scratched across his face, and he starts to feel afraid. If a cat comes towards him, he often runs away immediately, as he is afraid of being scratched again. Stan's behaviors and recollection of this trauma is a result of the ________ in the limbic system.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The amygdala is a part of the limbic system responsible for processing emotions and fear responses. Stan's fear of cats and his behavioral response to them are a result of this fear being encoded in the amygdala due to his previous traumatic experience. The hippocampus, thalamus, and medulla are all also parts of the limbic system, but they do not play as significant a role in fear processing as the amygdala.

Stan Has Been Extremely Afraid of Cats Since He Was