chapter 3 vocabulary

Question 1

panic disorder

Answer 1

type of anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of panic

Question 2

anxiety disorder

Answer 2

type of psychological disorder where anxiety is the prominent feature

Question 3

agoraphobia

Answer 3

a fear of places and situations from which it might be difficult or embarrassing to escape in the event of panicky symptoms or of situations in which help may be unavailable if such problems occur

Question 4

generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 4

type of anxiety disorder characterized by general feelings of dread, foreboding, and heightened states of sympathetic arousal.

Question 5

specific phobias

Answer 5

persistent but excessive fears of a specific object or situation, such as a fear of heights or small animals

Question 6

acrophobia

Answer 6

excessive fear of heights

Question 7

social anxiety disorder

Answer 7

excessive fear of engaging in behaviours that involve public scrutiny

Question 8

obsession

Answer 8

an intrusive, unwanted, and recurrent thought, image, or urge that seems beyond a person’s ability to control

Question 9

compulsion

Answer 9

a repetitive behaviour or mental act that a person feels compelled or driven to perform

Question 10

adjustment disorder

Answer 10

maladaptive reactions to an identified stressor or stressors that occur shortly following exposure to the stressor(s) and result in impaired functioning or signs of emotional distress that exceed what would normally be expected in the situation. The reaction may be resolved if the stressor is removed or the individual learns to adapt to it successfully

Question 11

acute stress disorder

Answer 11

traumatic stress reaction occurring in the days and weeks following exposure to a traumatic event

Question 12

post-traumatic stress disorder

Answer 12

disorder involving impaired functioning following exposure to a traumatic experience, such as combat, physical assault or rape, or natural or technological disasters, in which the person experiences, for at least one month, such problems as reliving or re-experiencing the trauma, intense fear, avoidance of event-related stimuli, generalized numbing of emotional responsiveness, and heightened autonomic arousal

Question 13

dissociation

Answer 13

feelings of detachment from oneself or one’s environment

Question 14

projection

Answer 14

in psychodynamic theory, a defence mechanism in which one’s own impulses are attributed to another person

Question 15

two-factor model

Answer 15

O. Hobart Mowrer’s theory that both operant and classical conditioning are involved in the acquisition of phobic responses. The fear component of phobia is acquired by means of classical conditioning, and the avoidance component is acquired by means of operant conditioning

Question 16

prepared conditioning

Answer 16

belief that people are genetically prepared to acquire fear responses to certain classes of stimuli, such as fears of large animals, snakes, heights, or strangers. Although the development of such phobias have had survival value for prehistoric ancestors, such behaviour patterns may be less functional today

Question 17

anxiety sensitivity

Answer 17

a “fear of fear,” or fear that one’s emotions or states of bodily arousal will get out of control and lead to harmful consequences

Question 18

neuroticism

Answer 18

trait describing a general neurotic quality involving such characteristics as anxious, worrisome behaviour; apprehension about the future; and avoidance behaviour

Question 19

gamma-aminobutyric acid

Answer 19

an inhibitory neurotransmitter believed to play a role in regulating anxiety

Question 20

fear-stimulus hierarchy

Answer 20

ordered series of increasingly fearful stimuli. Used in the behavioural techniques of systematic desensitization and gradual exposure

Question 21

flooding

Answer 21

type of exposure therapy in which subjects are exposed to intensely anxiety-provoking situations

Question 22

cognitive restructuring

Answer 22

cognitive therapy method that involves replacing irrational or self-defeating thoughts and attitudes with rational alternatives