Her reaction best illustrates the tend-and-befriend response.
The tend-and-befriend response is a behavior that is fueled by oxytocin in reaction to the release of cortisol in the body and it is expressed by some animals (including humans), in reaction to threat. The tend-and-befriend behavior motivates people to positively influence others and it is associated with an act of safeguarding offspring (tending) and finding the social group for complementary protection (defending).
