Chapter 8: Fear, Anxiety, and Stress Definitions Quiz

Fear = Occurs when we experience a threat to our physical safety in our external environment Anxiety = Results from a threat to one’s self-esteem like interpersonal rejection Trait anxiety = High levels of anxiety experienced across situations and over time Post-stimulus = Fear occurs after the eliciting event

One view of anxiety = Suggests anxiety is a personality trait subsumed within Neuroticism Lazarus's view = Fear results from a threat to physical bodies, anxiety results from a threat to self-esteem Timing of the eliciting event = Distinguishes fear (post-stimulus) from anxiety (pre-stimulus) Pre-stimulus anxiety = People may feel anxiety toward a threatening event that may or may not happen

Fear and Anxiety = Differentiated by the nature of the threat: physical safety vs. self-esteem Trait anxiety and Anxiety disorder = High levels of trait anxiety lead to diagnosis of an anxiety disorder Fear and Anxiety timing = Fear occurs post-stimulus, anxiety occurs pre-stimulus Anxiety anticipation = Anxiety can occur even if the eliciting event never happens

Fear = Associated with novel and unexpected events Anxiety = Occurs with expected and familiar events Stress = Not an emotion in itself, but encompasses changes in emotions Expectedness = Cognitive appraisal that differentiates fear and anxiety

Longer period of time = Anxiety Shorter duration = Fear Trait perspective = Assumed for anxiety Subjective feelings = Present in stress response

Upcoming presentation = Evokes anxiety Hitting a deer unexpectedly = Not predicted to evoke anxiety Coping with a negative event = Can lead to a stress response Baseline measures = Experience anxiety without an eliciting stimulus

Expectedness = Related to anxiety Novelty = Associated with fear Change in emotions due to cognitive appraisals = Seen in stress response Trait perspective of anxiety = Assumes longer duration of anxiety

Not considered an emotion = Reason for stress lasting too long to be an emotion Unfolding process of emotions = Describes how cognitive appraisals cause changes in emotions during stress response Includes subjective feelings of fear and anxiety = Part of stress responses Encompasses changes in emotions = Characteristics of stress as an emotional process

Fear and anxiety during stress response = Subjective feelings experienced during coping with a negative event Fear associated with hitting a deer on the way to work = Unexpected event leading to fear Anxiety about upcoming presentation = Expected event resulting in anxiety Anxiety during baseline measures = Experiencing anxiety without a specific trigger