Lecture 4: Neuroticism: Volatility & Withdrawal Flashcards
What are people more sensitive to: positive or negative emotion?
negative emotion
Why are people more sensitive to negative emotion?
we know that people are hurt more by a loss of any given magnitude than they are made happy by a gain of the same magnitude
What is neuroticism?
a personality trait associated with negative emotion
Name 7 traits of negative emotion
anxiety
disappointment
frustration
grief
pain
threat
uncertainty
What are the two aspects Neuroticism is broken down into?
withdrawal
volatility
Name 4 traits of people who are high in withdrawal
anxiety-prone
self-conscious
depressive
easily overwhelmed
Name 3 traits of people who are low in withdrawal
calm
reasonably happy
self-confident
What kind of response does withdrawal measure?
the freeze response
What is the freeze response?
hyper-preparation coupled with paralyzing fear
(Physically) what happens during a freeze response?
heart rate goes up
muscles prepare to move
Name 3 traits of people high in volatility
touchy
easily irritated
unstable
Name 3 traits of people low in volatility
stable
easygoing
slow to anger
What is an example of volatile behavior?
a driver cursing while stuck in bad traffic
What is the purpose of negative emotion?
Negative emotion helps us avoid paint and suffering by motivating us to act carefully
What happens when people have too much negative emotion?
they can become overwhelmed and even incapacitated by it
People high in negative emotion are more prone to what 2 psychiatric illnesses?
depression
anxiety
What are SSRIs?
a form of antidepressant medication used to treat depression and anxiety
What does SSRIs stand for?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
What else are SSRIs used to treat?
Pain
What does the relationship between SSRIs use to treat depression and pain?
emotional and physical pain systems are intertwined
When someone is depressed, what are the 5 questions to ask about the person’s life situation as a whole?
Do they have a meaningful job? Have they received enough education? How fulfilling is their social life? Are they in good physical health? Do they use their free time in a meaningful way?
If a person is depressed, answers yes to all 5 areas of their life situation, are they likely to respond well to antidepressants?
yes
If a person is depressed and is unfulfilled in basic life areas is medication going to make a difference?
Not unless their lifestyle is improved to fulfill basic life areas
What are 3 major symptoms of anxiety?
excessive worry
feelings of panic
intense physiological arousal
What is a practical way of treating anxiety?
finding manageable yet challenging tasks and building confidence over time
What is the best cure for anxiety?
voluntary confrontation with the fearsome things
What do people with anxiety disorders also benefit from?
routines - such as waking up, eating, and going to bed at the same time every day
What do routines provide for people?
routines scaffold peoples lives with comfort so they can handle more chaos in other areas of their lives and confront their fears
What is a way of testing positive and negative emotion systems in newborns?
sweet and bitter tests to detect positive and negative emotional responses
What normalizes anxious behavior in humans?
voluntary active exploration
What are 3 steps to treating anxiety in humans?
have a plan
don’t underestimate the utility of routine
Expose yourself to unfamiliar situations voluntarily
