Intro 3. Arousal is a key manifestation of threat preparedness.
This threat monitoring and preparedness is often revealed in emotional states of fear and arousal. Arousal and fear can take on different levels, depending on the level of the threat. However, arousal itself does not represent an animal's threat level. Instead arousal can be a manifestation of multiple different factors, both positive and negative in rewarding value or valence. Different models of affect separate out arousal from valence, indicating that while high arousal can indicate fear or a high threat, it can also correspond with positive excitement or approach behaviors such as mating.