Week 10 Emotions II

Question 1

Define fear

Answer 1

Immediate response to a real or perceived threat, involving the amygdala and rapid physiological changes for a “fight or flight” reaction.

Question 2

Define anxiety

Answer 2

Apprehension or worry about future or uncertain threats; it’s future-oriented and often involves the prefrontal cortex and insula.

Question 3

Define stress

Answer 3

Can be a response to either fear or anxiety; it activates the body’s stress response system (sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis).

Question 4

Describe the similarities between fear, anxiety and stress

Answer 4

All three can activate the stress response, involve physiological changes, and are interconnected in how they can influence emotional and cognitive states.

Question 5

Describe the differences between fear, anxiety and stress

Answer 5

Fear is immediate and specific, anxiety is future-oriented and broader, and stress can result from either fear or anxiety but is more about the body’s physical reaction

Question 6

______ is immediate and specific, _____ is future-oriented and broader, and _____ can result from either fear or anxiety but is more about the body’s physical reaction

Answer 6

Fear; anxiety; stress

Question 7

_____ is an immediate response to a real or perceived threat, involving the amygdala and rapid physiological changes for a “fight or flight” reaction.

Answer 7

Fear

Question 8

Fear is an immediate response to a real or perceived threat, involving the _______ and rapid physiological changes for a “fight or flight” reaction.

Answer 8

amygdala

Question 9

_______ is apprehension or worry about future or uncertain threats; it’s future-oriented and often involves the prefrontal cortex and insula.

Answer 9

Anxiety

Question 10

Anxiety is apprehension or worry about future or uncertain threats; it’s future-oriented and often involves the ____________ and _______.

Answer 10

prefrontal cortex and insula

Question 11

Stress can be a response to either fear or anxiety; it activates the body’s stress response system (_________ nervous system and ___________).

Answer 11

sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis

Question 12

Fear is an immediate response to a ___ or ___ threat.

Answer 12

real, perceived

Question 13

While fear is ___ and specific, anxiety is ___ and broader.

Answer 13

immediate, future-oriented

Question 14

Fear, anxiety, stress can all trigger physiological changes such as increased _________ and _________.

Answer 14

heart rate, blood pressure

Question 15

What properties of anxiety can be adaptive and helpful at appropriate levels?

Answer 15

• Anxiety can motivate preparation and focus, especially for future events (e.g., studying for an exam).
• It helps prioritise relationships and social cohesion by making us more aware of potential threats to these connections.
• Adaptive anxiety helps in decision-making by weighing immediate rewards against long-term consequences.
• It enhances awareness of potential threats or dangers in the environment.
• Anxiety can sustain motivation and effort toward resolving a conflict or achieving a goal until the issue is addressed.

Question 16

________ anxiety helps in decision-making by weighing immediate rewards against long-term consequences.

Answer 16

Adaptive

Question 17

Anxiety allows us to weigh _______ rewards against ________ consequences.

Answer 17

immediate, long-term

Question 18

When does anxiety become clinically relevant? What aspects of emotional processing are altered?

Answer 18

• Anxiety becomes clinically relevant when it is excessive, persistent, and impairs daily life functioning for more days than not over at least six months.
• Emotional processing changes include impaired emotion appraisal (difficulty interpreting emotional cues) and emotion regulation (difficulty managing emotional responses).
• The worry does not always disappear even after the stressor is removed, indicating a dysfunctional anxiety state.
• There are physiological and cognitive disruptions that make it difficult for individuals to manage their daily tasks.
• Clinically relevant anxiety is linked to changes in neural activity, such as reduced communication between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala.

Question 19

Anxiety becomes clinically relevant when it is ______, ______, and impairs daily life functioning for more days than not over at least _____ months.

Answer 19

excessive; persistent; six

Question 20

Emotional processing changes include impaired emotion _______ (difficulty interpreting emotional cues) and emotion _______ (difficulty managing emotional responses).

Answer 20

appraisal; regulation

Question 21

Clinically relevant anxiety is linked to changes in neural activity, such as reduced communication between the ______________ and ________.

Answer 21

prefrontal cortex and amygdala

Question 22

The DSM-5 criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) require excessive worry to last for at least ___ months.

Answer 22

Six

Question 23

How are anxiety and depression similar?

Answer 23

Anxiety and depression are often co-morbid, sharing symptoms like negative thinking and emotional distress.

Question 24

How are anxiety and depression different?

Answer 24

Anxiety is future-oriented with high energy and racing thoughts, while depression focuses on past events and involves low energy and motivation.

Question 25

What is their clinical prevalence of anxiety?

Answer 25

Affects nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives.

Question 26

What is their clinical prevalence of depression?

Answer 26

Affects about 17% of adults at some point in their lives.

Question 27

Describe the modern biopsychological view of emotion in the context of anxiety.

Answer 27

The modern view sees emotions as interconnected systems involving both perception of stimuli and physiological reactions.

Question 28

What are the key components necessary to experience anxiety?

Answer 28

- Sensory input - Cognitive processing (especially in the prefrontal cortex) - Physiological responses (e.g., activation of the amygdala and insula).

Question 29

What are the key components necessary to experience anxiety, and how might they influence each other to sustain this emotional state?

Answer 29

- Key components: Sensory input, cognitive processing (especially in the prefrontal cortex), and physiological responses (e.g., activation of the amygdala and insula). - The perception of a threat or stressor leads to a cognitive and emotional response, which is then amplified by physiological reactions (e.g., increased heart rate). - Cognitive processes can escalate anxiety by continuously evaluating the threat, leading to sustained anxiety. - Feedback loops between brain regions and physiological states (e.g., increased cortisol levels) maintain and intensify the anxious state.

Question 30

The key components necessary to experience anxiety are sensory input, cognitive processing (especially in the ____________), and physiological responses (e.g., activation of the _______ and _____).

Answer 30

prefrontal cortex; amygdala and insula

Question 31

Anxiety is generally ___-oriented, while depression is focused on the ___.

Answer 31

future, past

Question 32

Anxiety has a lifetime prevalence of around ___%, while depression affects about ___% of adults.

Answer 32

30, 17

Question 33

Feedback loops between brain regions and physiological states, like increased ________, maintain anxious states.

Answer 33

cortisol levels

Question 34

What are the different types of stimuli that could amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 34

- Sensory input - Cognitive stimuli - Bodily sensations - Social stimuli - Environmental factors

Question 35

How could sensory input amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 35

Sensory input, such as a sudden noise or sight of a potential threat, can activate the amygdala and initiate a fear response.

Question 36

How could cognitive stimuli amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 36

Cognitive stimuli, like thoughts or memories about past events, can trigger anxiety through activation of the prefrontal cortex.

Question 37

How could bodily sensation amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 37

Bodily sensations (e.g., increased heart rate or muscle tension) can be misinterpreted as signs of danger, further amplifying anxiety.

Question 38

How could social stimuli amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 38

Social stimuli, such as perceived threats to relationships or status, can enhance feelings of anxiety.

Question 39

How could environmental factors amplify the emotional circuitry and influence anxiety?

Answer 39

Environmental factors, like uncertainty or goal conflict, are significant drivers that activate the emotion circuitry linked to anxiety.

Question 40

______________, such as a sudden noise or sight of a potential threat, can activate the amygdala and initiate a fear response.

Answer 40

Sensory input

Question 41

Sensory input, such as a sudden noise or sight of a potential threat, can activate the ________ and initiate a fear response.

Answer 41

amygdala

Question 42

______________, like thoughts or memories about past events, can trigger anxiety through activation of the prefrontal cortex.

Answer 42

Cognitive stimuli

Question 43

Cognitive stimuli, like thoughts or memories about past events, can trigger anxiety through activation of the ______________.

Answer 43

prefrontal cortex

Question 44

___________ (e.g., increased heart rate or muscle tension) can be misinterpreted as signs of danger, further amplifying anxiety.

Answer 44

Bodily sensations

Question 45

____________, such as perceived threats to relationships or status, can enhance feelings of anxiety.

Answer 45

Social stimuli

Question 46

___________, like uncertainty or goal conflict, are significant drivers that activate the emotion circuitry linked to anxiety.

Answer 46

Environmental factors