Transcript Day 8 - Psychology

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders
Chapter 4
Integrated Model of Causes of Anxiety Disorders
 Biological and genetic influences
 Social influences
 Psychological Influences
Biological and Social Contributions to Anxiety
and Panic
 Biological Contributions
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Inherit vulnerabilities for anxiety and panic, not anxiety
disorders
Genetic vulnerabilities to anxiety and panic different
Some disorders have stronger evidence for links to specific
functional brain abnormalities
Stress and life circumstances activate the underlying
vulnerability
 Social Contributions
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Stressful life events as triggers of biological/psychological
vulnerabilities
Many stressors are familial and interpersonal
Psychological Contributions to Anxiety and Fear
 Began with Freud
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Anxiety is a psychic reaction to danger
Anxiety involves reactivation of an infantile fear situation
 Behavioral Models
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Anxiety and fear result from direct classical and operant
conditioning and modeling
 Cognitive Models
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Early experiences with uncontrollability and
unpredictability (psychological vulnerability)
Misinterpretation of anxiety symptoms exacerbates panic
and contributes to development of anxiety
Early Behavioral Models of Simple Phobias
 Watson’s classic studies of
Little Albert
 Classical conditioning of fear
of white rat
 Fear generalized quickly to
many furry objects, including
other animals and stuffed
toys
UCS (loud sound)
CS (white rat)
UCR (fear)
CR (fear)
Early Behavioral Models of Simple Phobias
 Conditioning theory didn’t explain avoidance
behavior
 Mowrer proposed the “two-factor” model to explain
both acquisition of fear and development of
avoidance
CS
Classical Conditioning
CR (fear)
Sd
Avoidance (Ra)
Operant Conditioning
Fear Reduction
(Negative Reinforcer)
Disorder
Feared Stimuli (CS)
Catastrophe
Avoidance (Ra)
Social Phobia
(general)
Inappropriate behavior
Embarrassment,
alienation
Isolation
OCD
“Bad” thoughts
Acting on thoughts
Compulsive rituals
GAD
Uncontrollable,
uncertain future
Being unprepared
Worry (planning,
organizing, etc.)
Panic
Somatic sensations
Death
Immobility,
hypervigilance
PTSD
Trauma reminders/cues
Repeat of trauma
Isolation, numbing,
dissociation
Integrated Model of the Development of Specific Phobia
Integrated Model of
Development of Panic
Disorder