Fear is an emotional response to impending danger, that is tied to anxiety. Behavioral theorists, like Watson and Ekman, have both suggested that fear, along with a few other basic emotions (e.g., joy and anger), is a trait innate to most higher functioning organisms. [citation needed] Fear is a survival mechanism, and usually occurs in response to a specific negative stimulus. Fear can be distinguished into serious fear, metus gravis, and trifling fear, metus levis. [citation needed] Serious fear is a response to some formidable impending peril, while trifling fear arises from confrontation with inconsequential danger. Fear can be described by different terms in accordance with its relative degrees. Personal fear varies extremely in degree from mild caution to extreme phobia and paranoia. Fear is related to a number of emotional states including worry, anxiety, terror, fright, paranoia, horror, panic (social and personal), persecution complex and dread. Fears may be a factor within a...This information was automatically generated from Freebase article Fear. You should replace/update it...