Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
11:18
Using the Threat Probability Task to Assess Anxiety and Fear During Uncertain and Certain Threat
Published on: September 12, 2014
Ambulatory assessment in panic disorder and specific phobia
1Department of Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany. alpers@psychscience.org
Psychological Assessment
|December 2, 2009
Summary
Ambulatory assessment aids anxiety disorder research by capturing real-world symptoms and physiology. This method offers valuable insights into psychopathology and treatment progress outside the lab.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder and specific phobias, are highly prevalent.
- Studying panic attacks and phobic triggers in laboratory settings is challenging due to unpredictability and situational specificity.
- Objective assessment of physiological responses in natural environments is crucial for understanding anxiety disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of ambulatory assessment (AA) for studying anxiety disorders.
- To investigate the natural course and scope of anxiety symptoms under ecologically valid conditions.
- To assess the role of AA in monitoring treatment changes.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing ambulatory assessment (also known as ecological momentary assessment) to collect data in real-world settings.
- Objectively assessing physiological responses during naturally occurring panic attacks and phobic situations.
- Comparing self-reported symptoms with physiological data.
Main Results:
- AA can overcome limitations of laboratory studies for panic disorder and specific phobias.
- Discrepancies between subjective symptom experience and objective physiology during panic attacks were observed.
- Symptom reporting during therapeutic exposure was validated.
Conclusions:
- Ambulatory assessment provides valuable insights into anxiety disorder psychopathology.
- AA is a useful tool for monitoring treatment progress in anxiety disorders.
- Objective physiological data collection in natural environments enhances understanding of anxiety disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
01:18Anxiety: Overview
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
01:30Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
01:23Assessment of Respiration
The respiratory system's basic structures and primary functions lay the foundation for nurses' comprehensive respiratory assessments. This assessment includes subjective and objective data to gauge the patient's respiratory health.
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD,...
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD,...
01:22Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
01:26Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview
Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.