PSY340H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Palpitations, Psychophysiology, Chest Pain
Document Summary
Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state ranging from mild unease to intense fear. A certain amount of anxiety, however, is normal and serves to improve performance. Anxiety rouses you to action, it gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you"re making a speech. Anxiety provoking situations: public speaking ranges the highest, aging ranged second. Firstly there is a psychophysiological component which features symptoms such as palpitations (racing heart) and sweating: dilation of pupils, problem: these physiological factors also present when an individual is happy scared, exercising. Pathological lairs do not elicit the same results: flight or fight: initially the body engages for flight, but if your cornered then your body gears to fight back. Not all mammals have fight or flight, rodents have freeze or flight response. Physiological is easier to measure and it is objective (people cannot control their arousal level).
