Psychology suggests that people who jump at loud noises aren't simply being dramatic. For others, it's a signal the brain ...

I’ve been reading a lot recently about the startle reflex as it applies to folks who suffer with panic disorder and agoraphobia. As you probably suspected, people diagnosed with this wretched curse ...

We all jump at an unexpected noise or touch, but in some people, this startle response is exaggerated, and can cause falls and even death. Now, researchers in the United Kingdom have found new genes ...

To understand the expressive range of the human face, nothing beats watching a colleague scream his head off in slow motion. When my lab began to study protective reflexes in the early 2000s, the ...

Ever wondered why some people get so easily startled? Here, a psychologist explains why this happens and how self-soothing can help to dampen this response. If you’re not a ‘jumpy’ person, it’s likely ...

The acoustic startle response is an unconditional reflex manifested as a rapid contraction of facial and skeletal muscles in response to a sudden and intense startling stimulus. Translational research ...

A car backfires, and your shoulders jump. A shadow moves, and your eyes fly open before your brain catches up. That dramatic flash of white sclera around widened eyes feels automatic because it is.