Although environmental and genetic factors are prevalent, a strong belief in transmission of an anxiety disorder is within the family. According to Fisak and Grills Taquechel (2007), a child’s parents can contribute to the likelihood of developing anxiety through modeling of learning experiences, transferring of information, and reinforcement schedules. A top-down or bottom-up approach can be used to predict the source of the phobia or fear. Visual signs of fear, such as facial expressions, in the presence of the stimuli are seen as observational learning. Modeling produces our most complex behaviors. Children can learn and develop anxiety and the contributing traits through salient behaviors of their caregivers.
Fredrikson, Annas, Fischer, and Wik (1996) used a mailed out questionnaire of true-false questions to determine the age and gender difference in different phobias. A visual analogue scale was used for the ratings of fears such as snakes, spiders, lightning, enclosed spaces, darkness, flying, heights, injections, dentists, and injuries. Males resulted in having multiple phobias; however, women only had a single phobia. Animal phobias, in accordance with situational phobias, were the second most common phobia next to an inanimate object phobia. Younger and older women both rated snake phobias significantly higher than the younger and older males. A significant difference in gender is still shown within the results of this study. Avoidance behaviors associated with phobias involve actively manipulating one’s environment so that it does not include the phobic object or passively not participating in the situation at all (Beck et al, 2010). Active-avoidance can be quickly acquired and repeatedly. Individuals who express these types of behaviors are more prone to the development of symptoms associated with anxiety. Females and a behaviorally inhibited temperament, which is defined as significant withdrawal from social and nonsocial situations, are two vulnerability factors of developing anxiety; however, the avoidance behaviors supersede these two factors. Beck et al (2010) studied male and female rats’ escape and avoidance behavior by placing them in operant chambers with a grid, shock floors. …show more content…
The researchers used the interaction between the vulnerability of being female and the behaviorally inhibited temperament to determine the level of sensitivity (warm-up) to the types of responses. A warning signal was elicited first. This required the rat to emit an ‘avoidance’ response by pressing the lever within the first sixty seconds of the warning signal. If the response was not delivered, shocks were administered for a period of three minutes. Escape behaviors or responses were measured by allowing the rats to terminate the shock within the first minute after the signal. The amount of time for the responses to occur and the presence of a warm-up were recorded. There was no significant difference in the sex of the rats and the types of responses emitted (Beck et al, 2010). However, the escape and avoidance behaviors were elicited quicker as the trials went on. With this result, sex differences are shown as less influential in the development of anxiety. Warm-ups were used to determine the level of sensitivity towards the aversive stimuli (shock), and found that an increase in the sensitivity led the rats to avoid the shock. A decrease in the sensitivity was present in the rats that were not conditioned to respond to the warning signal. This sensitivity corresponded with the greater extent of learning and responding to these avoidance and escape behaviors. Treatment for Anxiety disorders vary from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to pharmacological interventions (Hunsley, Elliott, & Therrien, 2014). CBT is any combination of cognitive (thoughts) and behavioral (or combined) approaches in psychology. Human-animal interaction (HAI) is seen as a beneficial source of treatment. It has effects socially, personally, and genetically (Beetz, Uvnas-Moberg, Julius, & Kotrschal, 2012). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is used to show the effects of this interaction socially as a therapeutic treatment approach to different disorders, including anxiety disorders. More empathy, more trust, less aggression, and a decrease in depression and anxiety are all seen as personal (emotional) effects of HAI. Oxytocin (OT), which is a chemical in the brain, plays a role in bonding, stress relief, and socialization skills. This chemical is seen as another underlying genetic factor in those with or experiencing anxiety. All of these contribute to the effects that HAI has on
Fredrikson, Annas, Fischer, and Wik (1996) used a mailed out questionnaire of true-false questions to determine the age and gender difference in different phobias. A visual analogue scale was used for the ratings of fears such as snakes, spiders, lightning, enclosed spaces, darkness, flying, heights, injections, dentists, and injuries. Males resulted in having multiple phobias; however, women only had a single phobia. Animal phobias, in accordance with situational phobias, were the second most common phobia next to an inanimate object phobia. Younger and older women both rated snake phobias significantly higher than the younger and older males. A significant difference in gender is still shown within the results of this study. Avoidance behaviors associated with phobias involve actively manipulating one’s environment so that it does not include the phobic object or passively not participating in the situation at all (Beck et al, 2010). Active-avoidance can be quickly acquired and repeatedly. Individuals who express these types of behaviors are more prone to the development of symptoms associated with anxiety. Females and a behaviorally inhibited temperament, which is defined as significant withdrawal from social and nonsocial situations, are two vulnerability factors of developing anxiety; however, the avoidance behaviors supersede these two factors. Beck et al (2010) studied male and female rats’ escape and avoidance behavior by placing them in operant chambers with a grid, shock floors. …show more content…
The researchers used the interaction between the vulnerability of being female and the behaviorally inhibited temperament to determine the level of sensitivity (warm-up) to the types of responses. A warning signal was elicited first. This required the rat to emit an ‘avoidance’ response by pressing the lever within the first sixty seconds of the warning signal. If the response was not delivered, shocks were administered for a period of three minutes. Escape behaviors or responses were measured by allowing the rats to terminate the shock within the first minute after the signal. The amount of time for the responses to occur and the presence of a warm-up were recorded. There was no significant difference in the sex of the rats and the types of responses emitted (Beck et al, 2010). However, the escape and avoidance behaviors were elicited quicker as the trials went on. With this result, sex differences are shown as less influential in the development of anxiety. Warm-ups were used to determine the level of sensitivity towards the aversive stimuli (shock), and found that an increase in the sensitivity led the rats to avoid the shock. A decrease in the sensitivity was present in the rats that were not conditioned to respond to the warning signal. This sensitivity corresponded with the greater extent of learning and responding to these avoidance and escape behaviors. Treatment for Anxiety disorders vary from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to pharmacological interventions (Hunsley, Elliott, & Therrien, 2014). CBT is any combination of cognitive (thoughts) and behavioral (or combined) approaches in psychology. Human-animal interaction (HAI) is seen as a beneficial source of treatment. It has effects socially, personally, and genetically (Beetz, Uvnas-Moberg, Julius, & Kotrschal, 2012). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is used to show the effects of this interaction socially as a therapeutic treatment approach to different disorders, including anxiety disorders. More empathy, more trust, less aggression, and a decrease in depression and anxiety are all seen as personal (emotional) effects of HAI. Oxytocin (OT), which is a chemical in the brain, plays a role in bonding, stress relief, and socialization skills. This chemical is seen as another underlying genetic factor in those with or experiencing anxiety. All of these contribute to the effects that HAI has on