Affective information processing and the assessment of anxiety

Abstract

A conceptualization of anxiety as comprising three loosely coupled response systems of overt behavior, verbal report, and physiological activation has proven useful in clinical and theoretical work. With this framework as a starting point, an information-processing approach to the study of emotion is described. Emotions are conceived as affective programs within the brain, with information coded as propositions organized into associative networks. Affective expression results when such a network is accessed and processed, which can occur when a sufficient number of propositions are activated by environment stimuli and/or internal associations. It is hypothesized that information about the expressive physiology is an integral component of the associative structure, and that processing of the network accordingly results in measurable psychophysiological response. Data from studies of emotional imagery, as well as other areas of research, are reviewed in support in these theories. The utility of this approach for the assessment of anxiety disorders is discussed, and results of clinical studies are presented to suggest that individual differences in accessing and processing emotional information may bear significant implications for prognosis and treatment selection. It is speculated that differences among the anxiety disorders could be interpreted in terms of the degree of cognitive organization of the network, leading to potential refinement of current diagnostic categories. In conclusion, cognitive psychology paradigms are discussed in terms of their application to the assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders.

Emotional reactivity in depression: diminished responsiveness to anticipated reward but not to anticipated punishment or to nonreward or avoidance

“…Experiments that assess reactivity through multiple modalities typically find little correlation between modalities, presumably due to ''loose coupling'' of affective response systems. [37] Hence, results obtained using any particular modality may not generalize to others, and the results reported here may not be applicable to research utilizing disparate methodologies. In addition, reactions to the nonreward and avoidance conditions are likely to be complex, as each condition has features that are likely to engage both appetitive and withdrawal processes (i.e., signals of possible reward coupled with ultimate failure in the nonreward condition, signals of possible punishment coupled with ultimate success in the avoidance condition).…”

Time course and task dependence of emotion effects in word processing

“…Perceived arousal values were obtained using a computerized version of the self-assessment manikin (SAM; Lang & Cuthbert, 1984).…”

ADORA2A Gene Variation, Caffeine, and Emotional Processing: A Multi-level Interaction on Startle Reflex

“…(3) Converging evidence points toward a crucial role of unflexible and maladaptive processing of emotional stimuli in the pathogenesis of anxiety and anxiety disorders: anxiety-related emotional stimuli are rated as more threatening by patients than by control individuals and seem to be processed differently within the limbic-medial prefrontal circuit, partly driven by genetic factors (eg, Domschke et al, 2006Domschke et al, , 2008bDomschke and Dannlowski, 2010;Etkin, 2010;Lang and Cuthbert, 1984;Mathews, 1993;Mühlberger et al, 2006Mühlberger et al, , 2007Pauli et al, 1996;Wiedemann et al, 1999).…”