Distinguish the main types of anxiety disorders.
Contrast the behavioral perspective and biological perspective to explain the development of anxiety disorders.
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1. The chief symptom of anxiety disorders is, of course, anxiety—but it takes different forms. For example, a person with generalized anxiety disorder is constantly tense and apprehensive without knowing why. Because the anxiety is not tied to any specific event, it is called free-floating anxiety.
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2. A person with panic disorder has short but terrifying periods of intense anxiety (a panic attack), usually accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, chest pain, or choking. People experiencing a panic attack often feel that they are about to die.
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3. A person with a phobia has intense anxiety, but at least understands that the anxiety is tied to specific objects or events that sometimes can be avoided.
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4. A person with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is haunted by “flashback” memories of a specific traumatic experience, often accompanied by insomnia and nightmares. Individuals with PTSD are easily startled by loud noises or unexpected events. The high level of “jumpy” anxiety interferes with daily functioning.
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5. A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is troubled by repetitive obsessive thoughts that generate anxiety and compulsive behavioral rituals that temporarily relieve the anxiety. For example, a person with an obsession about being contaminated with germs might engage in compulsive hand-washing behaviors.
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6. The behavioral perspective claims that anxiety disorders are learned behaviors produced by classical conditioning connected to painful or frightening events in the past. The formerly neutral situation (a neutral stimulus, or NS) that surrounded the original events has become a conditioned stimulus (CS), now capable of producing a conditioned response (CR) of fear, even when no painful unconditioned stimulus (US) is occurring in the present.
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7. The biological perspective is based on evolutionary psychology. It points out that our ancestors survived precisely because they were afraid of dangerous situations (e.g., snakes, spiders, and heights). The “cautious” or “fearful” genes that they passed on to us predispose some people today to high levels of general anxiety and an exaggerated fear response to mildly dangerous events.
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8. Neuroscience research has identified particular areas of the brain that show excessive activity during anxiety episodes. These “fear circuits” include the amygdala (part of the limbic system, located near the tip of the hippocampus) and the anterior cingulate cortex, located in the frontal lobe just above the corpus callosum.
Practice 1: Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
Roll over each image to view a description of that type of anxiety disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Phobia
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Symptoms:
constant tension and sense of dread, with free-floating anxiety
brief, terrifying periods of intense anxiety, often with chest pain or choking
persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation
unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)
haunting memories of a past traumatic event, with insomnia, nightmares, and startle reactions
Practice 2: Anxiety Disorders — Behavioral Perspective
Play the animation to watch the development of a conditioned fear in a single individual.
What causes anxiety disorders? The behavioral perspective explains anxiety disorders as the result of conditioned associations. Phobias are fears that have been associated with specific objects and events, sometimes leading to obsessive thinking about those events. Compulsive behaviors reduce the anxiety, and this rewards the person for repeating those behaviors.
When bad events happen unpredictably, chronic generalized anxiety may occur.
Practice 3: Anxiety Disorders — Biological Perspective
Play the animation to watch the development of a biologically-adaptive fear across generations of people.
What causes anxiety disorders? The biological perspective explains anxiety disorders as the product of evolution through natural selection. The same fearful tendencies that allowed our ancestors to survive may predispose us to phobias or chronic anxiety. Researchers are now beginning to identify the specific areas of the brain where these predispositions influence our behavior.
Quiz 1
Match the terms for anxiety disorders with the descriptions by dragging each colored circle to the appropriate gray circle. When all the circles have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.
Quiz 2
Each scenario is an example of one of the two terms for perspectives on anxiety disorders. Drag an appropriate term to the gray area in front of each scenario. When all the terms have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.