Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Map the brain’s fear response and analyze fear in media in this 3-week psychology program for middle school students on Bryn Mawr College’s campus.
Course Description
Fear begins as a biological alarm, but it is also shaped by thought, experience, culture, and context. Students trace the brain regions, neural pathways, and chemical processes behind the fear response. They build an interactive diagram, act out what happens in the brain and body, and compare fear with anxiety and phobias.
The course then turns outward. Students examine how fear has influenced historical events and human behavior, then analyze its use in literature, film, advertising, news, and social media. A phobia-themed haunted house, media-analysis stations, case studies, and an ethics debate ask when fear informs, persuades, or manipulates an audience.
For the capstone, students select a form of media and trace how fear has been portrayed across a century. They research creative techniques, audience reactions, historical context, and social effects, then revise their work through checkpoints and instructor feedback. The project culminates in a creative presentation supported by specific media examples and a reflection on what their research revealed.
This three-week course is part of Summer Discovery’s Institute for the Gifted program on Bryn Mawr College’s campus in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Beyond class, students connect active academic exploration with campus life, growing independence, new friendships, and a clearer sense of what students may want to explore next.
What Will You Do?
• Map the brain regions, neural pathways, and chemical processes involved in fear
• Act out the body’s fear response and explain each step
• Compare fear, anxiety, and phobias through research and visual analysis
• Examine fear in history, literature, film, advertising, and social media
• Debate the ethics of fear-based messages from different perspectives
• Analyze a century of fear in media and present a capstone
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain how biological, psychological, and cultural factors shape fear
• Analyze how media techniques influence an audience’s perception of fear
• Develop and present an evidence-based analysis of fear across a 100-year period
Students leave with an interactive fear-response diagram, media analyses, and a capstone presentation, plus a clearer sense of which parts of psychology they may want to explore next.
Why Psychology Skills Matter
Studying fear shows students how biology, psychology, history, and communication can explain the same human experience from different angles. Mapping a neural pathway requires scientific reasoning, while comparing case studies asks students to weigh evidence and notice how context changes behavior.
Media analysis adds another layer. Students learn to identify the choices that shape an audience’s response, distinguish information from manipulation, and explain an interpretation with evidence. Those habits support thoughtful decision-making, research, discussion, and responsible communication across many school subjects.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for middle school students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and are curious about psychology, the brain, human behavior, history, or the way stories and media affect an audience. It suits students who enjoy investigating questions from several angles and discussing ideas that may not have one simple answer.
No prior psychology course is required. Students should be ready to examine age-appropriate material about fear, research examples, consider competing viewpoints, and present their findings. A laptop or compatible tablet, charger, and headphones are required.
View the eligibility requirements for the Institute for the Gifted on our FAQ page. A completed program application is required.
Why Bryn Mawr College?
Bryn Mawr gives middle-school students a welcoming place to explore challenging ideas, create, and meet peers who share their interests. Its historic, tree-lined setting near Philadelphia makes the day feel distinctly advanced while allowing students to return home each afternoon.
The commuter-day format combines active academics with a clear daily routine and shared activities throughout the program day. Students can test new interests, contribute to discussions and projects, and become more confident navigating a college setting without an overnight stay. For families, Bryn Mawr offers a thoughtful balance of substantive learning, friendship, guidance, and age-appropriate independence in a structured day-program environment.
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive