Pragmatic High-Reliability Organizations (HRO) Modulate the Functions of Stress and Fear Behaviors During Pandemic COVID-19: The Stress-Fear-Threat Cascade

Abstract

Stress and fear have biological functions that, when neuromodulated, make adaptive otherwise maladaptive responses. While the concept of a defensive cascade supports cognitive understanding and hypothesis testing, approaching this domain by function using an ecological approach brings the pragmatic stance with methods for prevention and intervention. Stress, fear, and threat have distinct functions to, respectively, constrain cognition, induce cognitive focus, and reflexively respond when in danger. We differentiate reference frames between a fixed-point reference frame that distinguishes the event (stimulus) from the person (responder and response) and an experiential reference frame within cascading events. Unrecognized, the characteristics and actions of an HRO bring modulation to the defense cascade, check the effects of stress, interrupt cascading fear reactions, and abridge threat reflexes.

High-Reliability Organizing (HRO) in the COVID-19 Liminal Zone: Characteristics of Workers and Local Leaders

“…Without neuromodulation, the stress-fear-threat system contributes to unrecognized, normalized, instrumental, and even institutionalized maladaptive behaviors. These behaviors come in suites of related behaviors common to humans and ensembles of behaviors developed within individuals from instrumental experience (3). A shared threat, such as fear of malpractice, error, or a leadership style, creates the ecology of fear, further normalizing maladaptive behaviors that contribute to a culture of fear.…”

“…Stress, fear, and threat motivate engagement, maintain a safe working distance, and focus attention toward action (3,4). Military and public safety operations rely on the neuromodulation of stress responses, fear reactions, and threat reflexes.…”

“…Fear reactions keep us a safe distance from the threat to create a comfortable area to work. Threat reflexes initiate action to create engagement before we can fully recognize the danger (3,4). On the other hand, unmodulated stress responses inhibit memory retrieval and constrain thinking.…”

“…We perceive them as cultural traits. Unrecognized unmodulated behaviors too easily escalate toward cascading failure (3). Failure appeared inevitable.…”

High Reliability Organizing (HRO) is the Extension of Neonatology during Pandemic COVID-19

“…The use of concrete, active words facilitates action, while abstract words tend to generate thinking. This seems prudent until you realize the brain's response to stress constrains executive functions and impairs abstract thought (22). During an emergency, abstract words send messages to areas of the brain impaired by stress.…”