27/08/2025
Why fearful experiences are so ingrained
Think back to a moment that scared you. I will never forget hurtling my then two-year-old daughter towards the pavement as a speeding car came at us. Our pets have these moments too. Like my client, Poppy the Bearded Collie, she was startled by the neighbourโs fireworks, which caused her to become trapped in the hedgerows, resulting in her refusal to enter the garden for weeks. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ฎ?
A new review by Tezanos and Trejo (2025) brings together decades of work showing how threatening experiences shape memory. The conclusion is clear: the stronger the fear, the harder the memory is to erase. And far from being useful, this makes fear one of the most damaging forces in an animalโs learning.
๐ฐRead more at https://www.hannegrice.com/advice/why-scary-experiences-stick/
