Lang P J, Cuthbert B N
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, USA.
J Behav Assess. 1984 Dec;6(4):369-95. doi: 10.1007/BF01321326.
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.
将焦虑概念化为由公开行为、言语报告和生理激活这三个松散耦合的反应系统组成，已在临床和理论工作中证明是有用的。以此框架为出发点，本文描述了一种研究情绪的信息处理方法。情绪被视为大脑中的情感程序，信息被编码为组织成联想网络的命题。当这样一个网络被访问和处理时，就会产生情感表达，当足够数量的命题被环境刺激和/或内部联想激活时，就会发生这种情况。据推测，有关表达性生理的信息是联想结构的一个组成部分，并且对该网络的处理相应地会导致可测量的心理生理反应。本文回顾了来自情绪意象研究以及其他研究领域的数据，以支持这些理论。讨论了这种方法在焦虑症评估中的效用，并给出了临床研究结果，以表明在访问和处理情绪信息方面的个体差异可能对预后和治疗选择具有重要意义。据推测，焦虑症之间的差异可以根据网络的认知组织程度来解释，这可能导致对当前诊断类别的潜在细化。总之，本文从认知心理学范式在焦虑症评估和治疗中的应用方面进行了讨论。
