The influence of active avoidance on defense mechanisms

In this project, we explore how humans respond to avoidable versus inevitable threats, focusing on attentional and neural mechanisms. Defensive behaviors like freezing are evolutionarily conserved and actively serve to enhance perception and action readiness. While most insights come from animal models, research increasingly investigates these behaviors in humans using fear conditioning paradigms. Traditional passive paradigms may not fully capture human defensive strategies, prompting interest in scenarios where threats can be avoided. Studies show differences in physiological and visual responses—such as gaze centralization—when threats are avoidable, suggesting freezing behavior in humans. The current project examines visual alpha-band EEG activity, which is linked to attentional control, predicting reduced eye movement and alpha activation during avoidable threats.