Paralysed with fear: why do we freeze when frightened?

The fight or flight response is a powerful survival reaction. Once we perceive danger, adrenalin increases our heart rate and move our attention toward fighting off or fleeing from the threat.

We may become so focused on that goal that we may not process any extra details and may have no clear memory of how we got away from or fought off the danger.

• People who are more "approach motivated", such as extroverts and risk-takers, tend to perceive the reward in situations. They tend to approach a threat with a "fight" response.
• People who are "avoidant motivated" tend to see the risks/negatives in situations and are inclined to flee a threat.
• A third possible response is a freeze response and is often an extension of a surprise response. All energy is devoted to deciding whether the scene is a threat, a joke, or a harmless incident.