The Nightmare

The Nightmare

The officer had been called to a scene of an accident around 3am, and he was first to the accident.

Physiological arousal: The officer, while he was racing to the scene, felt an adrenaline rush and experienced tunnel vision, wanting to be first to the scene. Once he had arrive though, he began to feel anxious and jittery as he realized what was going on.

Cognitive Interpretation: When the officer walks over to the item in the middle of the road, a car seat turned over, his mind began to race.. "Is there a baby in the car seat?" "I don't know if I can do this".

Behavioral Expression: The officer turns over the car seat, and it was empty, meaning it hadn't been in use. The officer began to finally relax, panting as his heart rate slowed as well as he wiped the cold sweat from his face.

The James Lange Theory: The officer saw the car seat upside down, and became nervous, which led to him becoming sweaty, panting and extremely afraid.

Marlow's Hierarchy of Needs: The officer needed 5 things to fully assess the situation, and had used fear and being a dad over being an officer. The officer had worked the midnight shift, and he needed sleep to process the accident fully. He also needed to feel safe, as it was late and a horrific situation. He also needed a connection, to know that his children at home were also okay. He needed to be self-assertive, and have the strength to assess the accident fully.