PTSD: Etiology

What will be an ideal response?

Cognitive / learning
May represent classically conditioned fear response

Develop irrational associations with stimuli
Interpret as current threat

Expectation

Social
Social support / positive coping strategies protective

Lack of consistent social support may lead to symptoms

Physiological
Higher neurological arousal increases the probability of conditioning
Prolonged stress leads to neurochemical changes which leads to new symptoms ... or enhances existing symptoms

Neuroimaging findings
Conditioning: medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, hippocampus
Vulnerability: amygdala

Psychology

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Prenatal exposure to X-rays is associated with

a. leukemia. c. deformed limbs. b. cerebral palsy. d. blindness.

Psychology

Paula is interested in finding out whether infants can distinguish between bitter and salty tastes. What would be the most effective way to investigate her question?

a. Ask adults when they first remembered eating something bitter and something salty. b. Repeatedly present one taste — either bitter or salty — and see whether infants habituate to it. c. Observe infants' facial expressions or head movements to see whether they respond differently to bitter and salty tastes. d. Use infants or toddlers who are old enough to answer questions about how things taste.

Psychology