According to an article by David Rock on "SCARF: a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others" for the NeuroLeadership Journal 2008, "minimise danger and maximise reward"  is an overarching, organising principle of the brain. This principle suggests that when a person encounters a stimulus they either tag it as 'good' and approach/engage the stimulus; or the brain will tag the stimulus as 'bad' and they will avoid/disengage from the stimulus. People develop behaviours and responses to either avoid situations where they experience negative emotions or engage based on positive emotions or experiences. This response is extremely strong when connected with survival.

The approach-avoid response is a survival mechanism of our brains designed to keep us alive by being able to quickly make a decision as to what is 'good' and what is 'bad'. The amygdala, part of our mid-brain, is key to this function. It is part of our limbic system and plays a central role in remembering whether something should be approached or avoided. The limbic system is able to process responses to stimuli before they reach conscious awareness.

When a human being senses a threat, function in the prefrontal cortex decreases due to a decrease of resourced to that part of the brain - literally, less oxygen and glucose are deployed to that area of the brain. Threats do not only happen in situations of trauma but socially at work or even in relationship. If we wish to see better performance from employees or experience better relationships whether parent/child or couple, threat needs to be absent so that others are able to engage or approach us.