development of fear and anxiety

Question 1

name the questionnaire often given to measure children’s fears.

Answer 1

fear survey schedule (FSSC-R).

Question 2

name methodological issues of measuring children’s fear using the FSSC-R.

Answer 2

• some items outdated
• may not capture cultural variation
• might not index actual frequency of fears
• only measure what is included, to an exhaustive list.

Question 3

state common fears seen in childhood.

Answer 3

• worry
• night time anxiety
• nightmares
• animals
• imaginary creatures

Question 4

name the three ways we respond to fear.

Answer 4

• flight
• fight
• freeze

Question 5

what is the average number of fears children appear to have?

Answer 5

2-5 per child.

Question 6

state the moderators of childhood fears.

Answer 6

• gender
• cultural variation
• socioeconomic effects

Question 7

give a reason and evidence that girls report more fears than boys.

Answer 7

• high feminity and low masculinity associated with greater fear and anxiety.
• males test of fears before and after heart rate was taken (lie detector) significantly differed, showing males are more likely to lie about fears.

Question 8

give an example of a cultural variation in fears.

Answer 8

in the US, children from ethic minorities display higher fear and anxiety than white children.
in western countries number of fears decreases with age.

Question 9

explain why children living in lower SES report more fears.

Answer 9

deprived living areas have more threat such as violence, that enhances fear.

Question 10

explain the evolutionary approach of fears.

Answer 10

natural selection favours individuals who learn rapidly about threat.
“prepared” to fear threat of our ancestors.

Question 11

give evidence for rapid detection mechanism in relation to fears.

Answer 11

• infants possess an evolved fear detection mechanism for spiders that incorporate basic structure and configuration.

Question 12

explain the cognitive development approach of fears.

Answer 12

• fears originate from conceptualisation of threat.

- as cognitive maturation develops, anxiety becomes more sophisticated.

Question 13

describe the pattern of develop f fears from infants through to adolescence.

Answer 13

infants - fear of environmental stimuli, separation anxiety.
childhood - fear of imaginary creatures
adolescence - social fears, worry, injury.

Question 14

describe the evolutionary account of infants fears.

Answer 14

• avoidance keeps infants protected by caregiver to ensure survival.

Question 15

describe the evolutionary and cognitive account of adolescence fears.

Answer 15

• social position important for survival.

- abstract thinking, cause and effect.

Question 16

describe the cognitive account of childhood fears.

Answer 16

• develops fantasy-reality thinking.

Question 17

name types of peer acceptance that have aversive social outcomes .

Answer 17

• social status
• rejection and neglection
• victimisation

Question 18

name interventions for social anxiety.

Answer 18

CBT

• SETC
• SSAS
• group CBT

Question 19

state diagnostic symptoms of SAD according to the DSM-5.

Answer 19

• fear / avoidance
• major distress
• not due to substance
• persist for 6 months+

Question 20

describe the etiological model of social anxiety.

Answer 20

genes/ temperament + env factors lead to proximal factors, leads to social anxiety, leads to diagnosis.
cultural and personal factors also contribute to diagnosis.

Question 21

what percentage of childhood fears has been found to reflect clinical anxiety disorders?

Answer 21

23%.

Question 22

what percentage of anxiety disorder is heritable?

Answer 22

30%.

Question 23

name a method of detecting genetic factors of anxiety.

Answer 23

genome-wide associations (GWAS).

Question 24

true or false: there is one gene that is associated with anxiety.

Answer 24

false - polygenic.

Question 25

what type of environmental factor appears to play a larger roll in anxiety than genetic factors?

Answer 25

non-shared environmental factors.

Question 26

state assumptions of the etiological model.

Answer 26

• risk factors interact
• equifinality
• multi-finality
• reciprocal

Question 27

describe the cycle of how socially anxious young people go onto experiencing adverse social outcomes.

Answer 27

poor performance on social tasks - adverse social outcomes - heightened anxiety, expectations of future negative outcomes - avoidance of future social situations - reduced opportunity to acquire social skills.

Question 28

give evidence that shows a relationship between SA and peer rejection.

Answer 28

• HSA children were more rejected, were rated as having lower social skills, and rated as less attractive compared to LSA children.

Question 29

name and define the two types of victimisation.

Answer 29

direct/ overt - physical/ verbal, intentional harm.

relational - harms social standing, withdrawal, spreading of rumours.

Question 30

what type of victimisation predicted SA one year on.

Answer 30

relational victimiastion.

Question 31

give examples of traumatic life events that have been found to significantly predict SAD.

Answer 31

• maltreatment
• sexual assault
• peer/sibling victimisation
• more for girls

Question 32

give an example of cultural variation of anxiety.

Answer 32

• the main symptom for anxiety in the UK (individualistic) is fear of negative evaluation, whereas fear of causing harm to others in the main symptom in Japan (collectivist)