Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety Apprehension Anticipatory - “Anxious Apprehension” Future-oriented mood state in which one is ready or prepared to attempt to cope with upcoming negative events. State of undirected arousal following perception of threat

Anxiety: It is an emotion? Specific event Physiological arousal Subjective feelings Behavior Cognitive Appraisals How are fear and anxiety different?

“Something bad now, very soon” “Something bad in the future” Fear Anxiety Cognitive Appraisals “Something bad now, very soon” “Something bad in the future” Controllable, Novel, Unexpected, Can Cope, Close in Time. Uncontrollable, Unexpected, Can’t Cope, Far In Time Physiology Weak limbs, heart races, dry mouth Tension Behavior Flee, desire to escape, can cope successfully! Limited responses, can’t cope, don’t know how to cope Subjective Feelings Unpleasant, highly arousing Unpleasant highly arousing, helplessness Timing Occurs post-stimulus Occurs pre-stimulus

Attention: Fear vs. Anxiety Focuses our attention to threatening stimuli Post-Stimulus Anxiety: Maintains our attention to threatening stimuli, especially highly fearful stimuli Pre-stimulus

Genetic Structure: Anxiety vs. Fear Animal Phobia Situational Anxiety Social Phobia Panic & Agor. PTSD GAD Depression (Hettema et al., 2005)

Brain Activation: Anxiety versus Fear (Davis & colleagues, 1998, 2003)

When fear becomes anxiety Anxiety = unresolved fear When the coping attempts for fear fail Often in uncontrollable situation

Is Anxiety a Basic Emotion? A few say yes! Gray’s BIS More say no! Ekman, Izard, and Williams James! No universal facial expressions. But, universal appraisals.

Physiological Changes SNS Activated PNS Activated What can anxiety disorders tell us about physiological changes of anxiety?

Physiological Measures With PTSD Without PTSD With Previous PTSD Physiological Measures

Subjective Feelings

Physiological Arousal Fear Response Combo! Anxiety Response

What is the purpose of anxiety? Automatic Processing: To detect/anticipate potential threats in our environment Maintains our attention toward threatening stimuli (less likely to disengage) To be aware of objects we consider most dangerous (e.g., phobias)

Automatic Processing and Threat Detection Automatic, non-conscious mental activity gives us early warning system for detecting threat Implication: You can know and not know something at the same time--not know it consciously, know it unconsciously Basic technique: Backward masking

Backward Masking   1. Present picture of threatening stimulus very quickly (30 milliseconds)  2. Immediately after threat photo is shown, show a non-threatening picture. The second picture is a mask, blocks first picture from consciousness.  3. Reaction to first (masked) picture indicates unconscious processing

Automatic Processing of Fearful Stimuli: Results of Masked Stimuli Only

Anxiety Maintains Attention / Harder to Disengage Dot Probe Detection Paradigm Present two words above a cross. Words were threatening or neutral. Position of words varied. A dot replaces one of two words. Sometimes dot replaces threatening word. Sometimes dot replaces neutral word. Told to read top word aloud. Press button when see the dot. Measure reaction time to locating dot.

Dot probe detection paradigm

Dot probe detection paradigm AGONY FLOOR

Dot probe detection paradigm

Dot probe detection paradigm

Dot probe detection paradigm AGONY FLOOR

Dot probe detection paradigm

Anxiety Maintains Attention / Harder to Disengage (MacLeod et al., 1986)

Dot probe detection paradigm (Bradley et al., 1998)

Dot probe detection paradigm

Dot probe detection paradigm

Dot probe detection paradigm

Fear or Anxiety? Cut the rope! How to sing Cinderella Man Jurassic Park

Anxiety: It is an emotion? Specific event Physiological arousal Behavior Appraisals Subjective feelings

Is stress an emotion? Specific event Physiological arousal Behavior Appraisals Subjective feelings © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

2 1 4 3 ACTIVATION INTRO VIDEO PIN YOUR ANSWER! PLEASANT UNPLEASANT DEACTIVATION

2 3 1 8 4 5 7 6 High PA PIN YOUR ANSWER! Strong Engagement PLEASANT Low NA High NA 8 4 5 7 6 UNPLEASANT Disengagement Low PA

Views of Stress Seyle: stress is a response to significant changes in life events Stress is a Basic Emotion! Lazarus: stress is our interpretation of an event as threatening PLUS our perceived ability to cope Stress is a mixed emotion! © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

GENERAL ADAPTATION SYNDROME (Selye, 1974) Evidence for GAS: Cortisol © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Action Unit 4 – Brow Lowerer Action Unit 26 – Jaws Drop Action Unit 12 – Lip Corner Pull Action Unit 25 – Lips part Lazarus © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Cortisol Changes – Onset of Stressor *** *** *** *** *** ** (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2004) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Evidence for GAS: Vagal Tone Cortisol Recovery *** *** Evidence for GAS: Vagal Tone (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2004) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Fabes & Eisenberg, 1997) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Fabes & Eisenberg, 1997) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Fabes & Eisenberg, 1997) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Primary Appraisal: perceive a threat to oneself Secondary Appraisal: assess whether one has the resources to cope with the threat Coping: process of executing a response to the stressor. (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Primary Appraisal: Not passing my qualifying exams Secondary Appraisal: Can I handle this? I can make a study schedule! Coping: Study everyday from 8-5 and take off on Wednesday Evidence for Lazarus © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)

Think about your first exam. Anticipating the exam… Emotions? Thursday Waiting for your grade… Saturday Good grade! Tuesday © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Think about your first exam. Anticipating the exam… Emotions? Thursday Waiting for your grade… Saturday Good grade or bad grade? Tuesday © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

4 Types of Stress Emotions Appraisal Emotion Threat Worried, fearful, anxious Challenge Confident, hopeful, eager Harm Angry, sad, disappointed, guilty, disgusted Benefit Exhilarated, pleased, happy, relieved (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Stress is an unfolding process Anticipatory Stage 2 days before mid-term T1 Waiting Stage 5 days after mid-term T2 Outcome Stage 2 days before grades announced T3 (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Worried, fearful, anxious Challenge Confident, hopeful, eager Appraisal Emotion Threat Worried, fearful, anxious Challenge Confident, hopeful, eager (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Angry, sad, disappointed, guilty, disgusted Benefit Appraisal Emotion Harm Angry, sad, disappointed, guilty, disgusted Benefit Exhilarated, pleased, happy, relieved (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) Evidence for Lazarus: Coping © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

ANS Activity Varies with Appraisal Threat Appraisal Increases in SNS arousal (increased cardiac activity) Increases in PNS resistance(increased blood pressure) Challenge Appraisal Reduced or unchanged PNS activity © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Do you want to change your answer? ACTIVATION Do you want to change your answer? 1 2 PLEASANT UNPLEASANT 4 3 DEACTIVATION

2 3 1 8 4 5 7 6 High PA Strong Engagement PLEASANT Low NA High NA UNPLEASANT Disengagement Low PA

THREAT CHALLENGE

HARM BENEFIT HARM BENEFIT relieved

CHALLENGE THREAT

BENEFIT BENEFIT HARM BENEFIT HARM relieved