Question 1

Cognitive psychologists believe that people whose threat schemas contain a high proportion of "what-if" questions

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cognitive psychologists believe that people whose threat...

Question 2

According to D.M.Clark's research,people with anxiety sensitivity would likely be frightened most by

Accepted Answer

According to D.M. Clark's research, anxiety sensitivity refers to the fear of anxiety-related sensations, particularly those that are perceived as harmful or dangerous. Heart palpitations are a common symptom of anxiety and can trigger fear in individuals with anxiety sensitivity. Therefore, out of the given options, heart palpitations would likely be the sensation that would frighten people with anxiety sensitivity the most.

Question 3

Twin studies of anxiety disorders indicate that generalized anxiety disorder has a heritability of

Accepted Answer

Twin studies suggest that generalized anxiety disorder has a heritability of around 20 to 30 percent, indicating a moderate genetic contribution.

Question 4

What is thought suppression?

Accepted Answer

Thought suppression is the deliberate attempt to push away or stop thinking about unwanted or intrusive thoughts, memories, or urges. It involves actively trying to avoid thinking about the content.

Question 5

A patient with panic disorder tends to interpret the rapid beating of his heart as a heart attack; a cognitive psychologist would call this

Accepted Answer

The idea of interpreting physical symptoms, such as a rapid heartbeat, as catastrophic misinterpretation is a key concept in cognitive-behavioral theories of panic disorder. Automatic thinking refers to habitual and often negative thought patterns, illusion of predictability refers to the belief that one can accurately predict future events, and "what-if" thinking refers to a style of thinking that involves worrying about potential negative outcomes.

Question 6

While walking along the road,a car drives by and honks right next to you.The car hits your leg,and you are slightly injured.A few weeks later,you hear a car horn and become very nervous.What is the horn honking in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The horn honking has become a conditioned stimulus that triggers a conditioned response of nervousness due to the previous association with the painful experience.

Question 7

The episodic nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms is thought to be related to

Accepted Answer

The answer of The episodic nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms...

Question 8

Research has consistently found evidence that problems with anxiety show up at high rates in people who believe that

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently found that individuals who believe they are not in control of events or situations are more likely to experience anxiety. This belief can lead to feelings of helplessness and a lack of control, which are known triggers for anxiety symptoms. The other choices may contribute to anxiety in certain situations, but the belief of not being in control is consistently linked to anxiety across various contexts.

Question 9

Research has suggested that a factor contributing to the development of some anxiety reactions is that

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory suggests that anxiety can develop through observational learning. If someone sees someone else exhibiting fear or anxiety towards a particular stimuli (such as a spider), they are more likely to develop anxiety towards that stimuli through observational learning. This demonstrates how people can learn to avoid certain stimuli if they observe others responding with fear towards those stimuli.

Question 10

One important element in the development of social phobias may be a biologically-based preparedness to fear

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that humans may be biologically prepared to fear angry or rejecting faces, which could contribute to the development of social phobias. This fear response may have evolved as a survival mechanism, as being rejected or ostracized from a group can lower one's chances of survival.

Question 11

A person with social phobia can perform a particular task when alone but not in front of an audience; according to Barlow's model of anxious apprehension,this is due to

Accepted Answer

Barlow's model describes how social anxiety is fueled by self-focused attention on the internal physical sensations of anxiety, rather than external factors. This focus on the self can distract from the task at hand, leading to poorer performance in social situations. Therefore, the correct answer is C, the distraction of self-focused attention. The other options may contribute to social anxiety, but do not specifically explain why someone can perform a task alone but not in front of others.

Question 12

According to Wegner,what typically happens when people prone to anxiety disorders try to rid their mind of distressing or unwanted thoughts?

Accepted Answer

Wegner's research on thought suppression found that attempting to suppress unwanted thoughts actually leads to the opposite effect, where the thoughts become more persistent and associated with stronger emotions, especially for those prone to anxiety disorders.

Question 13

As a cognitive psychologist,you hypothesis that many factors can contribute to the cause of an anxiety disorder,but the following are especially important:

Accepted Answer

Perceptions, memories, and attention are crucial components in the development of anxiety disorders. These factors can influence how an individual processes and interprets information, leading to maladaptive coping strategies and heightened anxiety. While conditioned stimuli and responses, negative reinforcement, and neurotransmitter levels can also play a role, they are not as central to the cognitive approach to understanding anxiety disorders.

Question 14

According to cognitive models of anxiety,such as Borkovec,Alcaine and Behar's model,why do people continue to worry despite the fact that it is unproductive?

Accepted Answer

According to Borkovec, Alcaine, and Behar's model, people continue to worry because the worry is reinforced by a temporary reduction in uncomfortable physiological sensations. This means that people believe that worrying can help them cope with anxiety or prevent bad things from happening. However, this is an unproductive strategy in the long term because it can lead to chronic anxiety and interfere with daily functioning.

Question 15

What have studies of the genetics of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder found concerning the genetic component in a model of the cause of these disorders?

Accepted Answer

Studies have suggested that both panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder are modestly to moderately heritable.

Question 16

The two different pathways in the brain involved in the detection of danger differ from one another with respect to

Accepted Answer

The two different pathways in the brain involved in the detection of danger differ from one another with respect to the amount of conscious thinking and reasoning. One pathway is the fast and unconscious route, while the other pathway is the slow and conscious route.

Question 17

Several lines of research have clarified the basic cognitive mechanisms involved in generalized anxiety disorder,as well as in panic disorder.Experts now believe that a factor that plays a crucial role in the onset of this process is

Accepted Answer

Attention has been found to be a crucial factor in both generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Individuals with these disorders tend to have an attentional bias toward threatening stimuli, which can maintain and exacerbate their anxiety.

Question 18

The brain pathway that operates as a "short cut" in the detection of danger

Accepted Answer

The brain pathway that operates as a "short cut" in the detection of danger allows some threats to be responded to very quickly. This pathway is known as the amygdala hijack and it involves the activation of the amygdala in response to a perceived threat before the conscious brain has a chance to fully process the information. This allows for a rapid, reflexive response to danger.

Question 19

After Harriet was in a bicycle accident,she became fearful of riding bicycles.Which theory of the development of phobias would explain this fear?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning theory explains how a neutral stimulus (riding a bicycle) that is paired with an aversive event (bike accident) can lead to a fear response. This pairing can establish a conditioned response (fear) to the previously neutral stimulus (bicycle riding).

Question 20

The preparedness model of phobic acquisition holds that phobias develop in response to

Accepted Answer

The preparedness model suggests that phobias develop in response to objects and situations that are fear-relevant, meaning they have been associated with danger throughout evolutionary history. This theory emphasizes that some stimuli are more likely to become triggers for phobic responses due to their evolutionary significance.

Quiz 6: Anxiety Disorders