PSY 381 Chapter 4

Davon watched his father recoil from a snake in fear. Now he is afraid of snakes. This apparent acquisition of fear of snakes is an example of:

modeling.

The theoretical position that explains the origin of anxiety disorders as the overrun of defense mechanisms by neurotic or moral anxiety is the _____ approach.

psychodynamic

Agoraphobia is the fear of:

public places.

Someone interested in how social change, poverty, and race affect the risk for generalized anxiety disorders probably supports which perspective?

the sociocultural perspective

Which statement is NOT usually true of those persons with body dysmorphic disorder?

Most disorder-specific behaviors would be considered normal for a teenager.

Compared with men, women are _____ to develop generalized anxiety disorder.

twice as likely

A client has been experiencing uncontrolled anxiety. His symptoms include edginess, sleep changes, fatigue, and significant distress. To meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, these symptoms must be present for at least how many months?

6 months

What type of drug is alprazolam (Xanax)?

Benzodiazepine

What is one important way obsessions and compulsions are related?

Compulsions are often a response to obsessions.

How does fear differ from anxiety?

Fear is a response to a specific threat, whereas anxiety is more general.

Benzodiazepines are believed to be effective in treating generalized anxiety disorder because they mimic the effect of what neurotransmitter at certain receptor sites in the brain?

GABA

Which thought is consistent with the thinking of someone who has social anxiety disorder?

I can't go on that business lunch with my boss. I'd spill food on myself and look like an idiot.

Which statement is TRUE regarding the use of mindfulness-based therapy?

It has been used to treat a wide range of disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder.

Which statement is NOT true regarding specific phobias?

Repeated exposure to the object causes a gradual fear response.

A person asks, "What's the MOST effective treatment for social anxiety disorder?" What is the BEST research-based answer?

The best psychotherapy eliminates symptoms as fast as, and longer than, the best drug therapy.

Which of the following is the phobia MOST often associated with panic disorder?

agoraphobia

A woman constantly avoids crowded streets and buildings, and she is very reluctant to leave home, even with a friend. Recently, she has started experiencing sudden, extreme fear every time she enters a crowded street. MOST likely, this woman would be diagnosed with:

agoraphobia and panic disorder.

Eldon occasionally has a racing heartbeat. When this happens, he panics and thinks he is going to die. Gradually, he has developed panic attacks if he even thinks that his heart is beating strongly. Eldon apparently has a high degree of:

anxiety sensitivity

Psychodynamic therapies as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorders:

appear to work better when used in the short term rather than in traditional ways.

A compulsion to keep placing certain items (such as clothing, books, or foods) in perfect order in accordance with strict rules is a:

balance compulsion.

Cognitive-behavioral theorists have found that people who develop obsessive-compulsive disorder also:

believe their thoughts are capable of causing harm to themselves or others.

Which medications work primarily by enhancing the effectiveness of GABA?

benzodiazepines

In a research setting, a drug is given to a person. The drug causes that person to hyperventilate and experience a rapid heart rate. This is a(n):

biological challenge test.

A major limitation of treating generalized anxiety disorder with antipsychotic medication is that these medications:

can produce serious side effects.

Everyone has intrusive and unwanted thoughts. Most people ignore them. But some people blame themselves and expect terrible consequences, so they act in ways they hope will neutralize the thoughts. The type of theorist who would be MOST likely to agree with this position would be a:

cognitive-behavioral theorist.

According to Freud, a generalized anxiety disorder is MOST likely to result when:

defense mechanisms are too weak to cope with anxiety.

People with _____ keep picking at their skin, resulting in significant sores or wounds.

excoriation disorder

An obsessive-compulsive person who was told that everyone was required to wear shoes at all times in the house and that they were not to vacuum for a week would be receiving which type of therapy?

exposure and response prevention

A person experiences wide-ranging and persistent feelings of worry and anxiety. This is most likely which disorder?

generalized anxiety disorder

GABA has been implicated in the etiology of:

generalized anxiety disorder.

Antidepressants that are effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder:

increase serotonin activity in the brain.

GABA acts by:

inhibiting neuronal firing in the brain.

A person who believes that everything is a disaster and nothing good will ever happen again when things are not the way he or she would like them to be is displaying:

irrational assumptions.

Which is NOT a disadvantage of taking benzodiazepines?

lack of sleep, increased anxiety, and passivity

Exposure and response prevention as treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder:

leads to improvement that often continues indefinitely.

A person experiencing a panic disorder is MOST likely to also have a fear of:

leaving home

What are brain circuits?

networks of brain structures that work together

A person attempts to eliminate unwanted thoughts by thinking or behaving in ways that put matters right internally. They are trying to ____ the thoughts.

neutralize

A person says, "I'll try to see only the positive side of things, then everything will be OK." From a cognitive-behavioral perspective, this person is _____ obsessive thoughts.

neutralizing

Panic disorder appears to be related to abnormal activity of which neurotransmitter?

norepinephrine

What are the persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images that seem to invade a person's consciousness called?

obsessions

Danique is never sure of the right thing to do. She married Anthony and has wondered for hours every day for years if that was the right decision. She is exhibiting:

obsessive doubts.

Disorders that involve particular patterns of repetitive and excessive behavior that greatly disrupt a person's life and can cause shame are called:

obsessive-compulsive-related disorders.

Nicholas has an intense fear of dogs that won't go away. He avoids looking at pictures of dogs, and sometimes he can't even leave the house when neighbors are walking their dogs. This kind of fear would be classified as which kind of disorder?

phobic disorder

The avoidance theory of generalized anxiety disorder suggests that worrying:

serves to reduce bodily arousal.

Dylan is suffering from arachnophobia. His therapist first has him go through relaxation training, and then has him construct a fear hierarchy. Finally, the therapist has Dylan go through a phase of graded pairings of spiders and relaxation responses. This approach is called:

systematic desensitization.

Which theoretical position explains the origin of phobias as due to classical conditioning?

the behavioral position

Which explanation of phobias states the belief that human beings, as a species, have a predisposition to develop certain fears?

the behavioral-evolutionary explanation

Which of the following is a major similarity between the work of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck?

the belief that maladaptive thoughts cause anxiety

Which is NOT a component of social anxiety disorder, according to research by cognitive theorists?

underestimating how badly a social event actually went

A phobic person is exposed to computer graphics that simulate real-world situations. This is an example of the _____ technique.

virtual reality

According to sociocultural theorists, generalized anxiety disorder is LEAST likely to develop in people who:

have a lot of free time to think about their problems.

An example of a meta-worry is demonstrated by someone who:

worries about worrying.

When would religious rituals and superstitious behavior (such as not stepping on cracks) be considered compulsive behaviors?

when they interfere with daily function and cause distress

One limitation of the sociocultural approach to understanding generalized anxiety disorders is that it cannot explain:

why everyone who experiences danger doesn't experience generalized anxiety.

A client has body dysmorphic disorder and is considering plastic surgery. Is this a recommended treatment for this client?

No. Often, people who have plastic surgery for body dysmorphic disorder actually feel worse afterward.

Jie has had a feeling of being on edge for several days now. She can't think of a reason for why she feels this way. This feeling is called:

free-floating anxiety.

Apparently, people develop phobias more readily to things such as spiders and the dark than they do to objects such as computers and radios. This observation supports the idea of:

preparedness.

If a therapist gave a client homework that required the client to challenge faulty assumptions and replace them with healthier ones, the therapist would be using:

rational-emotive therapy.

The first step in systematic desensitization treatment is:

relaxation training.

Which psychodynamic method has been shown to significantly reduce the levels of anxiety, worry, and social difficulty of patients with generalized anxiety disorder?

short-term psychodynamic therapy

Which disorder is characterized by severe, persistent, and irrational anxiety about social or performance situations in which the person may face scrutiny by others and possibly feel embarrassment?

social anxiety disorder

Several techniques, such as modeling and role-play, are combined to treat social anxiety disorder in:

social skills training

According to the psychodynamic perspective, if someone keeps obsessing about immoral sexual behavior and repeatedly scrubs his or her face and hands in response to those thoughts:

the immoral images represent id impulses.

As part of desensitization training, a phobic person is taken to a snake-handling convention to confront snakes. This is an example of what kind of technique?

the in vivo technique

The most appropriate motto for someone with generalized anxiety disorder is:

"Better safe than sorry."

Which statement reflects the MOST common obsessive thought?

If I touch that doorknob, I will be dirty and contaminated.

Which behavioral assumption has the LEAST amount of research to support it?

Phobias are primarily acquired through classical conditioning in humans.

Phobic and generalized anxiety disorders arise when people stop looking at themselves honestly and with acceptance and instead deny and distort their true thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Which kind of theorist would offer the preceding explanation for anxiety disorders?

a humanistic theorist

Which of these describes a compulsion?

a repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that people feel they must perform

Your worries are only thoughts. Don't try to stop them! Recognize that they're thoughts, and don't let them upset you so much. These statements MOST likely would come from someone using which form of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder?

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

The cognitive explanation for panic disorders is that people who have them:

misinterpret bodily sensations.

A person is being treated for a social anxiety disorder. A therapist watches the person act out a social scene, points out what she did correctly and incorrectly, and praises her for what she did well. Which behavioral technique did the therapist NOT use?

modeling

Drew is terrified of the snakes that his 8-year-old son brings home as pets. During his therapy, his therapist demonstrated how to handle snakes. This is a form of therapy based on:

modeling

A professor's office is a mess; graded tests are in piles on the desk, overflowing bookshelves line the walls, and research materials from years ago occupy boxes on the floor where there is only a narrow pathway to walk. If the professor is experiencing a diagnosable disorder, it would MOST likely be in which category?

obsessive-compulsive-related disorders

Which is the BEST example of a broad social anxiety? 1. unwillingness to eat in front of others 2. fear of public speaking 3. apprehension about being evaluated by others 4. anxiety about walking in front of others

3. apprehension about being evaluated by others

Which statement is MOST accurate? 1. Anxiety is caused by deficient levels of GABA throughout the brain. 2. Long-term anxiety contributes to poor GABA reception. 3. High GABA reception causes long-term anxiety. 4. Low GABA levels can increase activity in the fear circuit, leading to increased anxiety.

4. Low GABA levels can increase activity in the fear circuit, leading to increased anxiety.

Which behavior pattern is NOT listed in DSM-5 as an obsessive-compulsive-related disorder?

Agoraphobia

Which statement best represents the evidence supporting the usefulness of client-centered therapy for those with generalized anxiety disorder versus for those with the same condition who receive placebo therapy?

Client-centered therapy is only sometimes superior to placebo therapy.

Which statement is TRUE about drug and cognitive treatments for panic disorder?

Cognitive treatments have proved to be at least as effective as medications, if not more so.

Which statement about the use of antidepressants to treat panic disorders is MOST accurate?

It appears that all antidepressant drugs that restore norepinephrine help prevent or reduce panic symptoms.

When Logan was 5 years old, he was playing with a stuffed bunny when a burglar broke into his home. Now, as an adult, Logan is terrified of rabbits. Why do cognitive-behavioral theorists believe Logan dreads rabbits, even though he should know they are harmless?

Logan never got close enough to rabbits to learn they are actually harmless.

A psychologist believes that her client has a generalized anxiety disorder due to a lack of unconditional positive regard as a child and as a result has developed conditions of worth. The psychologist is following which theory?

Rogers' client-centered theory

What does the client do when the modeling approach is used to treat a phobia?

The client observes the therapist confronting the feared object.

What is the biggest difference between treatment outcomes for persons with agoraphobia and persons with specific phobias?

Treatment of agoraphobia brings less relief to individuals than do the highly successful treatments for specific phobias,

Samuel cannot leave for work without going back into his house and making sure that he has taken all of his writing materials. He does this several times before he allows himself to start the car and drive to work. He is frequently late for work because he is so unsure about remembering everything. Samuel is displaying:

a checking compulsion.

Beatrice is prescribed a medication for her anxiety. When she takes a small dose, she feels calmer. When she takes a larger dose, she can fall asleep without tossing and turning. This type of drug is called:

a sedative-hypnotic drug.

The drug treatment that is MOST effective in treating panic disorders is a(n):

antidepressant drug

Research on the cognitive explanation for the development of generalized anxiety shows that people with generalized anxiety symptoms:

are more likely to have fast and strong physical reactions to stress.

In terms of cognitive theories that explain generalized anxiety disorder, which of these theories has a good deal of research support?

both metacognitive theory and intolerance of uncertainty theory

Which group emphasizes the beliefs and expectations that lead someone with a social anxiety disorder to overestimate how bad a social interaction went?

cognitive-behavioral theorists

Which therapy is an effective long-term, nonpharmacologic treatment for panic attack that involves teaching patients to interpret their physical sensations accurately?

cognitive-behavioral therapy

A psychotherapist models appropriate social skills for a client with social anxiety disorder, then uses modeling for another client with a phobia for spiders. What the therapist is doing is:

common; modeling is often used in the treatment of these kinds of disorders.

When Marianela was a young child and watching TV with her mother, a mouse ran by. Her mother screamed, scaring her. Ever since then, Marianela has been afraid of mice. In this example, the mouse is the:

conditioned stimulus.

A phobic person is taught to imagine the feared items as part of desensitization training. This is an example of the _____ technique.

covert

What is the BEST combination of treatments to treat obsessive-compulsive-related disorders?

exposure therapies and antidepressant drugs

A procedure used to treat social anxiety disorder that forces the client to face his or her dreaded social situation until the fear subsides is:

exposure therapy.

Which is an example of a specific social anxiety?

fear of public speaking

A person was recently diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. A BEST guess is that the person is in _____ school and is _____ likely than average to have a close relative with social anxiety disorder.

high; more

According to the intolerance of uncertainty theory, individuals with generalized anxiety disorder are:

likely to have difficulty tolerating the knowledge that a negative event may occur.

A belief of many early cognitive-behavioral therapists, and one that continues to be influential today, is that generalized anxiety disorder is induced by:

maladaptive assumptions.

A person is sweating, experiencing shortness of breath, choking, feeling dizzy, and afraid of dying. Assuming this event is not a heart attack, but rather an indicator of anxiety disorder, it is MOST likely a:

panic attack

Sebastian was outside the parking garage when, out of nowhere, he suddenly felt overwhelming fear. Sebastian noticed that his fear increased, he started to feel out of control, and the intensity of the feelings seemed to reach a peak and then pass within a few minutes. This is an example of a:

panic attack.

Every once in a while, Ona feels nervous to the point of terror. This feeling seems to come on suddenly and randomly. Her experience is an example of a(n):

panic disorder

A person who experiences unpredictable panic attacks combined with dysfunctional behavior and thoughts is probably experiencing:

panic disorder.

Avery, a 28-year-old woman, tells her therapist that she has an intense fear of snakes. She says she has been afraid of snakes since she was a child. Which additional criterion would suggest that Avery meets the diagnostic criteria for a specific phobia?

refusal to go to certain places where she believes snakes could be present, such as the lake

Cognitive-behavioral theorists believe that compulsive behavior is:

reinforced because engaging in it reduces anxiety.

The biological understanding of generalized anxiety is supported by the finding that:

relatives of people with generalized anxiety are more likely to have it than nonrelatives are.

Manuel is afraid of eating in public because he expects to be judged negatively and to feel humiliated. As a result, he makes up excuses when asked out to eat. His diagnosis would probably be:

social anxiety disorder.

What is anxiety sensitivity?

the inability to assess bodily sensations accurately

Which brain area is rich in neurons and uses norepinephrine?

the locus coeruleus

Which brain areas have been implicated in obsessive-compulsive symptoms?

the orbitofrontal cortex and the caudate nuclei

Lucy is considering taking an antidepressant that increases levels of serotonin and improves brain function for symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. She could expect that:

this medication would lead to short-term relief, but relapse would occur if she stopped taking it.

People who experience obsessions have:

thoughts that are intrusive and foreign to them.

Before grading papers, a professor puts on rubber gloves. During class and in interactions with students, the professor painstakingly avoids any contact with the hands of students. The professor is exhibiting a(n):

touching compulsion.

The scientific name for hair-pulling disorder is:

trichotillomania.