CogSci 115 Final Exam Questions and
Answers
goals and focuses of CBT - Answers -- focus: changing maladaptive thinking
- goals: minimize negative and self-defeating thoughts, cultivate positive and goal-
consistent thoughts
cognitive reappraisal of emotion - Answers -- identify and change the way situations,
emotions, etc are viewed in order to change their affective impact
- increases positive emotions, decreases negative emotions
- very very common in psychotherapy
reappraisal recruits _________ regions - Answers -prefrontal cortex (including dmPFC,
dlPFC, vlPFC: executive functions, cognitive elaboration), lateral temporal cortex
(semantic and perceptual representation), posterior parietal cortex (sustained attention),
modulated emotional responding in the amygdala
suggested way cognitive reappraisal works - Answers -changing the meaning we give to
a stimulus --> reduces amygdala activity --> potentially stressful stimuli less stressful
emotion regulation is modulated by interconnections of which areas? many of these
connections play a role in cognitive reappraisal - Answers -- orbitrofrontal cortex (OFC):
evaluation of emotional salience, selection of behaviors
- anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): emotional state interpretation, motivated behavior
- anterior insular cortex (AIC): conscious appraisal of bodily states to trigger emotion
regulation processes
- AMYGDALA
EEG studies about cognitive reappraisal found: - Answers -- reduction in magnitude of
late positive potential (LPP) was found in response to negative stimuli
caveats to cognitive reappraisal - Answers -- may be maladaptive when stressors are
controllable (patients with controllable stress --> higher cognitive reappraisal ability was
associated with greater levels of depression)
- may be adaptive when stressors are uncontrollable (patients with uncontrollable stress
--> higher cognitive reappraisal ability was associated with lower levels of depression)
what is negative reappraisal? what is positive reappraisal? - Answers -- negative:
decreasing negative condition, "this situation is not as bad as it first seemed"
- positive: increasing positive condition, "they will be grateful that they had this
experience"
,fMRI results of positive vs negative reappraisal - Answers -- both shortened duration of
responses in the amygdala, insula, and superior temporal gyrus and lengthened
responses in PFC regions
- only negative decreased intensity of amygdala activation
- intensity of activity in medial PFC (cog. control of emotion) only increased in positive
overall takeaways of positive vs negative reappraisal - Answers -- positive may involve
more engagement with the emotional stimulus / positive may require more active
cognitive effort
traditional CBT uses your _____ to help guide your ________ - Answers -thoughts,
emotions
newer variants of CBT uses your ______ to help guide your ______ - Answers -
emotions, thoughts
_______ reappraisal led to greater increases in positive affect and smaller decreases in
skin conductance than ______ appraisal - Answers -positive, negative
study about technique of suppressing emotions revealed: - Answers -- experience and
express less positive emotion and greater negative emotion
- have worse interpersonal functioning
- report lower overall levels of well-being
future gain reappraisal tactic - Answers -- one big factor in determining whether you see
a situation as stressful or as a challenge is your beliefs about the eventual outcome
- epitomizes what optimism is all about
breast cancer survivor study (future gain reappraisal tactic) - Answers -key factor that
distinguished survivors was the view that their lives had been altered for the better after
developing the disease (2/3 of survivors reported this)
study on preschoolers first day of school - Answers -- outgoing, socially competent, well
liked: showed high activity in stress hormones on first day of school, decreased as year
went on
- unhappy, socially isolated: low stress hormone levels on first day, increased
throughout year
people have more peak experiences during (work or leisure time)? what does that
suggest? - Answers -- work! but they will say that they prefer leisure time
- suggests our association of effort with pain and leisure with pleasure is so deeply
rooted that it distorts our perception of the actual experience
- severely limits our potential for happiness if we cannot recognize our positive
experiences
, what is defensive pessimism? does it work? in what settings? - Answers -- some people
use fear of failure to motivate themselves
- can work in short run, but in long run is a recipe for burnout, low self esteem, and
unhappiness
research showed that effectiveness of reappraisal ___________(increased/decreased)
with age. activity in the __________ also ___________ (increased/decreased) with age.
- Answers -increased; prefrontal; increased
older individuals showed greater drops in ________(positive/negative) affect and
greater decreases in ________-________(parts of brain) connectivity after reappraisal -
Answers -negative, rostrolateral prefrontal-amygdala
behavioral activation - Answers -one of the most effective and widely-used treatments
for emotion dysregulation
behavioral activation process for depression - Answers -- clients are asked to rate the
degree of pleasure/accomplishment they feel during specific activities
- asked to establish/maintain regular routines that encompass activities that have high
scores
- often ones that provide pleasant experiences, social support, or experiences of
mastery
Schwartz CBT technique treatment for OCD - Answers -- paying attention to the facts of
a perception without reacting to them
- learning to experience an OCD symptom without reacting emotionally
4 Rs of OCD CBT Treatment - Answers -- relabel: identify what's real and refuse to be
misled by obsessive thoughts
- reattribute: understand that those thoughts/urges are just false messages being sent
from your brain
- refocus: turns your attention to more constructive behavior
- revalue: see these thoughts as the useless garbage that they are
OCD neural explanation - Answers -- hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal region (serves to
identify when something is amiss)
- caudate nucleus (execution of motor behavior with inputs from the orbitofrontal and
amygdala)
- together form the "worry circuit"
- OCD is buzzing with activity
degree of improvement of OCD symptoms correlated with increase in ____________
activity - Answers -right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
Answers
goals and focuses of CBT - Answers -- focus: changing maladaptive thinking
- goals: minimize negative and self-defeating thoughts, cultivate positive and goal-
consistent thoughts
cognitive reappraisal of emotion - Answers -- identify and change the way situations,
emotions, etc are viewed in order to change their affective impact
- increases positive emotions, decreases negative emotions
- very very common in psychotherapy
reappraisal recruits _________ regions - Answers -prefrontal cortex (including dmPFC,
dlPFC, vlPFC: executive functions, cognitive elaboration), lateral temporal cortex
(semantic and perceptual representation), posterior parietal cortex (sustained attention),
modulated emotional responding in the amygdala
suggested way cognitive reappraisal works - Answers -changing the meaning we give to
a stimulus --> reduces amygdala activity --> potentially stressful stimuli less stressful
emotion regulation is modulated by interconnections of which areas? many of these
connections play a role in cognitive reappraisal - Answers -- orbitrofrontal cortex (OFC):
evaluation of emotional salience, selection of behaviors
- anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): emotional state interpretation, motivated behavior
- anterior insular cortex (AIC): conscious appraisal of bodily states to trigger emotion
regulation processes
- AMYGDALA
EEG studies about cognitive reappraisal found: - Answers -- reduction in magnitude of
late positive potential (LPP) was found in response to negative stimuli
caveats to cognitive reappraisal - Answers -- may be maladaptive when stressors are
controllable (patients with controllable stress --> higher cognitive reappraisal ability was
associated with greater levels of depression)
- may be adaptive when stressors are uncontrollable (patients with uncontrollable stress
--> higher cognitive reappraisal ability was associated with lower levels of depression)
what is negative reappraisal? what is positive reappraisal? - Answers -- negative:
decreasing negative condition, "this situation is not as bad as it first seemed"
- positive: increasing positive condition, "they will be grateful that they had this
experience"
,fMRI results of positive vs negative reappraisal - Answers -- both shortened duration of
responses in the amygdala, insula, and superior temporal gyrus and lengthened
responses in PFC regions
- only negative decreased intensity of amygdala activation
- intensity of activity in medial PFC (cog. control of emotion) only increased in positive
overall takeaways of positive vs negative reappraisal - Answers -- positive may involve
more engagement with the emotional stimulus / positive may require more active
cognitive effort
traditional CBT uses your _____ to help guide your ________ - Answers -thoughts,
emotions
newer variants of CBT uses your ______ to help guide your ______ - Answers -
emotions, thoughts
_______ reappraisal led to greater increases in positive affect and smaller decreases in
skin conductance than ______ appraisal - Answers -positive, negative
study about technique of suppressing emotions revealed: - Answers -- experience and
express less positive emotion and greater negative emotion
- have worse interpersonal functioning
- report lower overall levels of well-being
future gain reappraisal tactic - Answers -- one big factor in determining whether you see
a situation as stressful or as a challenge is your beliefs about the eventual outcome
- epitomizes what optimism is all about
breast cancer survivor study (future gain reappraisal tactic) - Answers -key factor that
distinguished survivors was the view that their lives had been altered for the better after
developing the disease (2/3 of survivors reported this)
study on preschoolers first day of school - Answers -- outgoing, socially competent, well
liked: showed high activity in stress hormones on first day of school, decreased as year
went on
- unhappy, socially isolated: low stress hormone levels on first day, increased
throughout year
people have more peak experiences during (work or leisure time)? what does that
suggest? - Answers -- work! but they will say that they prefer leisure time
- suggests our association of effort with pain and leisure with pleasure is so deeply
rooted that it distorts our perception of the actual experience
- severely limits our potential for happiness if we cannot recognize our positive
experiences
, what is defensive pessimism? does it work? in what settings? - Answers -- some people
use fear of failure to motivate themselves
- can work in short run, but in long run is a recipe for burnout, low self esteem, and
unhappiness
research showed that effectiveness of reappraisal ___________(increased/decreased)
with age. activity in the __________ also ___________ (increased/decreased) with age.
- Answers -increased; prefrontal; increased
older individuals showed greater drops in ________(positive/negative) affect and
greater decreases in ________-________(parts of brain) connectivity after reappraisal -
Answers -negative, rostrolateral prefrontal-amygdala
behavioral activation - Answers -one of the most effective and widely-used treatments
for emotion dysregulation
behavioral activation process for depression - Answers -- clients are asked to rate the
degree of pleasure/accomplishment they feel during specific activities
- asked to establish/maintain regular routines that encompass activities that have high
scores
- often ones that provide pleasant experiences, social support, or experiences of
mastery
Schwartz CBT technique treatment for OCD - Answers -- paying attention to the facts of
a perception without reacting to them
- learning to experience an OCD symptom without reacting emotionally
4 Rs of OCD CBT Treatment - Answers -- relabel: identify what's real and refuse to be
misled by obsessive thoughts
- reattribute: understand that those thoughts/urges are just false messages being sent
from your brain
- refocus: turns your attention to more constructive behavior
- revalue: see these thoughts as the useless garbage that they are
OCD neural explanation - Answers -- hyperactivity in the orbitofrontal region (serves to
identify when something is amiss)
- caudate nucleus (execution of motor behavior with inputs from the orbitofrontal and
amygdala)
- together form the "worry circuit"
- OCD is buzzing with activity
degree of improvement of OCD symptoms correlated with increase in ____________
activity - Answers -right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
