Perceived Threat

A Perceived Threat is a human perceived state that could result in personal harm.

• Context:
  • It can trigger a Fear Emotion.
  • It can range from being a Perceived Threat to Self to being a Perceived Threat to Others.
  • It can range from being triggered by (typically) a Visible Threat (such as a nearby Grizzly) to being triggered by an Invisible Threat (such as global warming).
  • It can range from being triggered by (typically) a Threat with Precedent (such as a nearby Grizzly) to being triggered by an Novel Threat, such as global warming).
  • It can range from being triggered by (typically) a Immediate Threat (such as a nearby Grizzly) to being triggered by an Distant Threat, such as global warming).
  • It can range from being triggered by (typically) a Simple Cause (such as a nearby Grizzly) to being triggered by an Complex Threat, such as global warming)
• Example(s):
  • a Pain Feeling, such as a burning feeling from the direction of an open fire.
  • The sighting of a Grizzly bear and cub during a hike.
  • A incoming surfable ocean wave that will likely to be 2.5 meters tall.
  • a news item of Global Warming.
  • a news item of Existential Human Threat.
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Perceived Opportunity.
• See: Appeal to Fear, Courageous Act.

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References

2009

• (Kish-Gephart et al., 2009) ⇒ Jennifer J. Kish-Gephart, James R. Detert, Linda Klebe Treviño, and Amy C. Edmondson. (2009). “Silenced by Fear:: The nature, sources, and consequences of fear at work." Research in Organizational Behavior, 29.
  • QUOTE: These search results are surprising given the potentially far-reaching impact of fear on workplace behavior. As a powerful, evolutionary-based emotion, fear encourages avoidance behavior, a narrowed perceptual and cognitive focus on perceived threats, and pessimistic judgments about risks and future outcomes (Frijda, 1986; Izard, 1993; Lerner & Tiedens, 2006; Maner and Gerend, 2007; Rachman, 1990). …
    … such that employees actually care enough about the organization to feel angry about and personally responsible for doing something about perceived threats to the organization’s well-being. …
    … According to Frijda (1986: 72), fear can be defined by its withdrawal action tendency or ‘‘urge to separate oneself from aversive events.’’ When a threat is perceived, the brain automatically begins to send signals to the body to prepare for flight or removal from the dangerous situation; this is often accompanied by physiological preparation including increasing heart rate and blood pressure (to increase oxygen throughout the body), slowing digestion, and diverting blood into the muscles for a quick burst of energy (LeDoux, 1996; Ohman, 1993). …
    … Whereas voice would bring the individual ‘‘closer’’ to the threat and potential harm, non-deliberative defensive silence (freezing) reduces the potential for harm from speaking up or from counter-normatively fleeing from the perceived threat (the authority figure in a meeting). …
    … In the examples above, we focused on incidences where a focal employee experiences anger due to a perceived threat to his or her own well-being. However, anger can also be triggered by ‘‘a demeaning offense against me and mine’’ ...

2005

• (Vassilopoulos, 2005) ⇒ Stephanos Ph. Vassilopoulos. (2005). “Social Anxiety and the Vigilance-Avoidance Pattern of Attentional Processing.” In: Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 33(01). doi:10.1017/S1352465804001730
  • QUOTE: … properties. Moreover, from a cognitive perspective, rapid detection of a perceived threat stimulus that is objectively harmless, followed by avoidance, is likely to prevent the individual from learning that the stimulus is less harmful. …

1997

• (Feldman & Stenner, 1997) ⇒ Stanley Feldman, and Karen Stenner. (1997). “Perceived Threat and Authoritarianism.” In: Political Psychology, 18(4).

1992

• (Witte, 1992) ⇒ Kim Witte. (1992). “Putting the Fear Back into Fear Appeals: The extended parallel process model.” In: Communications Monographs, 59(4).

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