AP Psychology Abnormal Module 66

Approximately what percent of the population suffers from OCD? At what age do the symptoms typically appear?

-2-3% -Late teens or twenties

Factors that determine whether a person is more likely to suffer from PTSD after a traumatic event

-Amount of emotional distress during trauma -Frequency -Sensitive limbic system -Genes -Survivors of accidents, disasters, & violent/sexual assault

Symptoms of phobias & an example of 2 specific phobias

-Anxiety disorder -Persistent, irrational fear & avoidance of a specific object, activity or situation -Ex:Heights, blood

Origins & symptoms of PTSD

-Exposure to a traumatic or stressful event -Haunting memories or nightmare -Social withdrawal -Anxiety -Insomnia

Describe Agoraphobia. Hypothesize about why agoraphobia is often one of the most frequently diagnosed types of phobias but may not actually be the most frequent occurring**

-Fear or avoidance of situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable when panic strikes -Extreme & irrational fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public situation & being unable to escape or get help -May be frequently diagnosed because someone who has had many panic attacks will avoid places that stimulate panic attacks(outside, elevator) to reduce anxiety thus reinforcing this phobia

What is the most common phobia? What differentiates a strong fear from a phobia?

-Heights -A phobia is an anxiety disorder in which an irrational fear causes the person to avoid some object, activity, or situation & interferes w/ability to function in daily life -A phobia causes you to be incapacitated by efforts to avoid feared situations unlike fears

Explain what differentiates anxiety from an anxiety disorder

-Normal anxiety is a normal part of life & doesn't prevent you from completing everyday tasks -Anxiety disorder causes significant disruptions in the person's cognitive, behavioral or interpersonal functioning

Explain how OCD differs from normal obsessions or tendencies toward perfectionism

-OCD persistently interferes w/everyday living & causes stress -OCD consists of unwanted repetitive obsessive/thoughts &/or actions/compulsions that causes one distress -Ex:Checking to see if you locked your door is normal, but checking 10 times is not

Common symptoms of Panic disorder. How does panic disorder differ from generalized anxiety disorder?

-Panic strikes suddenly -Chest pain -Choking -Trembling -Dizziness -Lose sensation -Unpredictable episodes of intense dread

How does having social anxiety disorder differ from having a specific phobia?

-Social anxiety is shyness to an extreme. They will avoid potentially embarrassing social situations, such as speaking up, eating out, or going to parties -A phobia is when someone has an irrational fear of a certain object, activity or situation -Social anxiety has no trigger

Discuss how classical conditioning & operant conditioning principles can be used to explain the development of anxiety disorders, OCD, & PTSD

-Stimulus generalization occurs & develops fears, reinforcement helps maintain phobias & compulsions as they arise -Ex:When a person is attacked by a dog, they later develop a fear of all dogs -Avoiding or escaping the feared situation reduces anxiety, thus reinforcing the phobic behavior. Feeling anxious or a panic attack, a person may go inside & be reinforced by feeling calmer -Through conditioning, the short list of naturally painful & frightening events can multiply into a long list of human fears

Discuss why the sufferer's knowledge that the obsessions are irrational actually adds to the suffering

-They recognize that their thoughts & actions are abnormal, but cannot do anything about it as only 1/5 people recover -The person knows them to be irrational, but the anxiety-fueled thoughts so haunting, the compulsive rituals so time-consuming that effective functioning becomes impossible

In what way does the biological perspective help us understand the development of phobias & anxiety? Consider both natural selection & genetics in your response

-Those not fearful of certain stimuli are less likely to survive & certain genes can make you more prone to certain disorders -We fear threats faced by our ancestors -Our genes can dispose different phobias on us

Common symptoms of Generalized Anxiety disorder

-Unexplainably & continually tense & uneasy -Apprehensive -State of automatic NS arousal -Unfocused -Jittery -Sleep deprived

Explain why free-floating anxiety can be disabling

One cannot identify the cause of the anxiety or what is happening & can therefore not deal w/it or avoid it

Which category of people is at greater risk for Panic disorder? Why?

Smokers because nicotine is a stimulant

Explain what the author means when he says that "suffering can lead to benefit finding."

Tedeschi & Calhoun found that the struggle w/challenging crises such as cancer, often leads to people later to report an increased appreciation for life, more meaningful relationships, increased personal strength, changed priorities, & a richer spiritual life

What brain structures are activated in someone who suffers from OCD?

The anterior cingulate cortex is hyperactive in people who have OCD as it monitors our actions & checks for errors

How can suffering from agoraphobia impact someone's life?

They may avoid being outside the home, in a crowd, on a bus or on an elevator, thus impacting everyday life

Discuss how observational learning principles can be used to explain the development of phobias

We can develop fears based off of observations of others behavior to a stimulus