Fear vs Frustration Reactivity

Reactive behaviour is not one single thing. Two dogs can bark and lunge for very different reasons: one because they are scared, and one because they are frustrated. In behavioural science, these are often described as defensive (fear-driven) versus appetitive or goal-blocked (frustration-driven) responses, and they are associated with different emotional and physiological states (Mills, 2005; Sherman & Mills, 2008).