Abnormal Psychology

Anxiety Disorders 295

Given the neurological vulnerability, this set of events sets the stage for subsequent

false alarms and anxious apprehension when the person is confronted with the

stimulus (Antony & Barlow, 2002). And, of course, once the person begins to

avoid the stimulus, the avoidance behavior is negatively reinforced. This behavior

in turn affects not only the individual’s beliefs but also his or her social interactions

(social factors). These factors and feedback loops are illustrated in Figure 7.12.

7.12 • Feedback Loops in Action: Specifi c Phobia

Figure 7.12g 7

Mental Processes and

Mental Contents

Distorted thinking

Faulty estimation

Anxious apprehension

Perceptual distortions

Affect

Anxiety

Fear

Behavior

Classical conditioning

Negative reinforcement

that maintains avoidance

Stressful Life Events

Problematic relationships

Work problems

Gender/Culture

Model cultural norms

Family

Model relatives

Genetics

Inherited

tendency for

specific phobia

and for specific

type of phobia

Neural Communication

NeuroPsychoSocial

GABA

Serotonin

Acetylcholine

Norepinephrine

Brain Systems

Amygdala

Somatosensory cortex

NeuroPsychoSocial NeuroPsychoSocial