Question 1

Research with young monkeys demonstrates that ____ can reduce vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders.

Accepted Answer

Research with young monkeys demonstrates that a sense of control can reduce vulnerability to developing anxiety disorders. In a study, young monkeys were placed in stressful situations and those who had some level of control over the situation showed less anxiety-like behavior. This suggests that a sense of control can be an important protective factor against anxiety disorders. Other factors such as genetics and adequate nourishment can certainly play a role as well, but they were not specifically mentioned in this study as mitigating anxiety. The act of being comforted may provide temporary relief from anxiety, but it is not clear from the research cited here whether it has a lasting protective effect.

Question 2

Eduardo is rushed to the emergency room with symptoms of chest pains, breathlessness, sweating, choking, nausea, and heart palpitations. He believes that he is having a heart attack. After a thorough examination, he is told that physically, he is fine, but that he may be suffering from ____.

Accepted Answer

Eduardo's symptoms are indicative of a panic attack, as they include physical symptoms such as chest pains, breathlessness, sweating, and heart palpitations, along with psychological symptoms such as choking, nausea, and fear. Furthermore, the fact that Eduardo was told that he is physically fine supports the idea that his symptoms are psychological in nature. OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) do not typically present with sudden and acute physical symptoms like those experienced by Eduardo. Acute stress disorder is a possibility, but panic attack is a more likely explanation given the symptoms described.

Question 3

Which neurotransmitter appears to have the greatest influence on mood and anxiety disorders?

Accepted Answer

Serotonin is often associated with mood regulation, anxiety reduction, and the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Low levels of serotonin have been linked with depression and anxiety, while medications that increase serotonin activity, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are widely used as antidepressants and anxiolytics.

Question 4

Which biochemical substance can produce or exacerbate anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Progesterone can influence mood and anxiety levels, as it can be converted into allopregnanolone, which modulates GABA receptors and can have anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects depending on the context.

Question 5

When Annette drives on the freeway around Los Angeles, she often experiences so much anxiety that she begins to hyperventilate and shake. Annette is experiencing ____.

Accepted Answer

Annette is experiencing a panic attack, which is characterized by sudden and intense periods of fear and discomfort that often manifest physically with symptoms such as hyperventilation and shaking. Social anxiety disorder involves intense fear or anxiety in social situations, agoraphobia involves fear of being in places or situations from which escape may be difficult, and generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive worry and anxiety about a variety of events or activities.

Question 6

Contrast the medical and cognitive forms of therapy for panic disorder, being sure to address the issue of internal factors and self-efficacy. Which treatments are most effective in the long run?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Contrast the medical and cognitive forms of...

Question 7

Phobic disorders are frequently grouped into three different categories. List these three categories (categories, not individual phobias such as "fear of heights"), and provide a description of the characteristics associated with each. Discuss briefly behavioral theories that explain how phobic disorders may be acquired.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Phobic disorders are frequently grouped into three...

Question 8

Xenophobia is the fear of ____.

Accepted Answer

Xenophobia is defined as an intense or irrational fear of or aversion to strangers, foreigners, or anything perceived as foreign or different.

Question 9

One reason argued by Nolen-Hoeksema (2004) that women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with an emotional disorder is due to their____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of One reason argued by Nolen-Hoeksema (2004) that...

Question 10

What do neuroimaging techniques show when comparing the effects of medication on anxiety with the effects of psychotherapy?

Accepted Answer

Neuroimaging studies have shown that both medication and psychotherapy can lead to neurobiological changes in the brain that are associated with improvements in anxiety symptoms. These changes include decreased activation of the amygdala, increased activity in prefrontal regions involved in emotion regulation, and alterations in the functioning of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA. Therefore, the most accurate statement is that psychotherapies produce neurobiological changes similar to those seen with medications.

Question 11

For both medication and cognitive behavioral therapies, a critical factor for successful treatment of panic disorder is ____.

Accepted Answer

Providing the patient with information about the disorder is a critical factor for successful treatment of panic disorder for both medication and cognitive behavioral therapies. This allows the patient to understand and cope with their symptoms and work towards recovery. Keeping the patient calm, teaching them ways to relax in public, and assuring them that nothing is wrong may be helpful techniques but are not the critical factor for successful treatment of panic disorder.

Question 12

Dr. Chan successfully treats his clients for obsessive compulsive disorders. For many of his clients, he is likely to prescribe which medication?

Accepted Answer

SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medications, such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), are commonly prescribed for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) since they help to regulate serotonin levels in the brain, which is involved in mood, anxiety, and obsessive thoughts. Benzodiazepines and lorazepam are not typically used for OCD, and lithium carbonate is primarily used for bipolar disorder.

Question 13

Compare and contrast the conditioning, observational learning, and cognitive theories of the development of phobias.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the conditioning, observational learning,...

Quiz 4: Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders