PSYC 3390 Lecture 7: Ch.5-Anxiety

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3390
• Professor: Meghan Mc Murtry

Document Summary

Anxiety: is a negative mood state characterized by bodily symptoms of physical tension, and apprehension about the future. Because anxiety is difficult to study in humans, much of the research has been done with animals. Surprisingly, anxiety is good for us, at least in moderate amounts. Psychologists have known for over a century that we perform better when we are a little anxious. Fear: is an immediate alarm reaction to danger. Like anxiety, fear can be good for us. The emergency reaction is often called the flight-or-fight response. As noted earlier, anxiety is a future-oriented mood state, characterized by apprehension because we cannot predict or control upcoming events. Panic attack: an abrupt experience of intense fear or acute discomfort, accompanied by physical symptoms that usually includes heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, and possibly dizziness. The two types of panic attacks are described in the dsm-5: expected and unexpected.