Active avoidance (AA) is an important paradigm for studying mechanisms of aversive instrumental learning, pathological anxiety, and active coping. Unfortunately, AA neurocircuits are poorly understood, partly because behavior is highly variable and reflects a competition between Pavlovian reactions and instrumental actions. Here we exploited the…

BDNF-induced signaling is essential for the development of the central nervous system and critical for plasticity in adults. Mature BDNF signals through TrkB, while its precursor proBDNF employs p75[superscript NTR], resulting in activation of signaling cascades with opposite effects on neuronal survival, growth cone decisions, and synaptic…

In this article, using data on traffic volume and fatal accident rates in Israel from 2001 to 2004--a period spanning much of the Second Intifada--we examine the population-level responses to endemic terror to uncover whether societies become habituated so that the response weakens following repeated attacks or whether they become increasingly…

It was expected that sensation seeking would not be accompanied by an increase in tension. The results tended to confirm that expectation, thus providing some degree of additional validity to the concept of sensation seeking as a specific personality dimension. (Author)

A good deal is now known about the neural circuitry involved in how conditioned fear can augment a simple reflex (fear-potentiated startle). This involves visual or auditory as well as shock pathways that project via the thalamus and perirhinal or insular cortex to the basolateral amygdala (BLA). The BLA projects to the central (CeA) and medial…

Hypotheses that efficacy of systematic desensitization could be attributed to anxlety reduction as a result of relaxation training, to extinction of nonreinforced fear responses, or to operation of placebo factors were tested as alternatives to counterconditioning hypothesis. Test anxiety reduction was found only for subjects given relaxation…

The study was designed to assess the relationships between certain expressions of anxiety and preferences for defense mechanisms. (Author)

Within an experimental paradigm that simulated systematic desensitization, the effects of manipulated cognitive expectancy on avoidance behavior were evaluated. The results indicated that both overt avoidance behavior and two verbal indexes were differentially affected by expectancy and that no relationship between avoidance behavior and autonomic…

Five groups of 15 female subjects reporting fear of snakes participated in two behavioral avoidance tests employing a snake as the target object. Results are discussed both in terms of implications for psychotherapy outcome research design and possible usefulness of situational variables in the development of more effective anxiety-reduction…

Authors investigated the hypothesis that differences in aggressive behavior may partly be a function of differences (a) in the perception of aggressive cues, or (b) in the degree in which retaliation is expected. (Authors)

In a case of claustrophobia and in another with fears of flying, Japanese defense activities of the Karate type proved to be effective counter conditioners of anxiety. They were used in the former case in vivo and in the later case both in imagination and in vivo. (Author)

Assessed the relative influences of sensation-seeking or tension-reduction motives on drinking behavior. Data indicated a strong positive relationship between sensation seeking and alcohol use, whereas the relationship between anxiety and alcohol use was nonsignificant. The importance of sensation-seeking motives to a comprehensive motivational…

THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE ANXIETY LEVEL OF SUBJECTS WILL AFFECT THEIR TENDENCY TO ACCUMULATE REACTIVE INHIBITION WAS TESTED. THE STUDY EMPLOYED THE CHILDREN'S MANIFEST ANXIETY SCALE TO IDENTIFY 120 HIGH AND LOW SCORERS AND AN INVERTED-NUMBER PRINTING TASK TO QUANTIFY REACTIVE INHIBITION. THE HYPOTHESIS WAS PARTIALLY CONFIRMED. WITH HIGHLY MOTIVATING…

R.S. Lazarus's theory of coping was used to investigate appraisal and reappraisal of threat in repressors and sensitizers. Two indexes of stress, self-report ratings of affect and palmar skin conductance, were measured prior to performance on a reaction time task, after one-third of the task was completed and after two-thirds of the task was…

This article details some of the developmental patterns that characterize the child's experiences with anxiety about being evaluated. (Author)