The Role of Contingency Awareness in Human Fear Conditioning: Electrophysiological Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. S205
Author(s):  
Yuri Pavlov ◽  
Boris Kotchoubey
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Contingency Awareness ◽  
Electrophysiological Analysis

Concurrent Electrodermal and Eyeblink Conditioning With Masked and Unmasked Stimuli

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-42
Author(s):  
José Luis Marcos ◽  
Azahara Marcos
Keyword(s):  
Unconditioned Stimulus ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Noise Burst ◽  
Conditioning Phase ◽  
Contingency Awareness ◽  
Blank Screen ◽  
Neutral Face ◽  
Fearful Face

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine if contingency awareness between the conditioned (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) is necessary for concurrent electrodermal and eyeblink conditioning to masked stimuli. An angry woman’s face (CS+) and a fearful face (CS−) were presented for 23 milliseconds (ms) and followed by a neutral face as a mask. A 98 dB noise burst (US) was administered 477 ms after CS+ offset to elicit both electrodermal and eyeblink responses. For the unmasking conditioning a 176 ms blank screen was inserted between the CS and the mask. Contingency awareness was assessed using trial-by-trial ratings of US-expectancy in a post-conditioning phase. The results showed acquisition of differential electrodermal and eyeblink conditioning in aware, but not in unaware participants. Acquisition of differential eyeblink conditioning required more trials than electrodermal conditioning. These results provided strong evidence of the causal role of contingency awareness on differential eyeblink and electrodermal conditioning.

Challenges of Fear Conditioning Research in the Age of RDoC

2017 ◽  
Vol 225 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina B. Lonsdorf ◽  
Jan Richter
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Clinical Diagnosis ◽  
Research Domain Criteria ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
The Future ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Research Domain

Abstract. As the criticism of the definition of the phenotype (i.e., clinical diagnosis) represents the major focus of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative, it is somewhat surprising that discussions have not yet focused more on specific conceptual and procedural considerations of the suggested RDoC constructs, sub-constructs, and associated paradigms. We argue that we need more precise thinking as well as a conceptual and methodological discussion of RDoC domains and constructs, their interrelationships as well as their experimental operationalization and nomenclature. The present work is intended to start such a debate using fear conditioning as an example. Thereby, we aim to provide thought-provoking impulses on the role of fear conditioning in the age of RDoC as well as conceptual and methodological considerations and suggestions to guide RDoC-based fear conditioning research in the future.

Role of dorsal and ventral hippocampal muscarinic receptor activity in acquisition and retention of contextual fear conditioning.

2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 460-470
Author(s):  
Claudia C. Pinizzotto ◽  
Nicholas A. Heroux ◽  
Colin J. Horgan ◽  
Mark E. Stanton
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Muscarinic Receptor ◽  
Contextual Fear Conditioning ◽  
Receptor Activity ◽  
Contextual Fear

Neurobiology of Anxiety Disorders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Palkar ◽  
Eric Hollander
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Endogenous Opioids ◽  
Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Nmda Antagonists ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Voltage Gated ◽  
Voltage Gated Calcium Channels ◽  
New Learning

In recent years, advances in the fields of neuroimaging and experimental psychology increased our understanding of the basic mechanisms of classical conditioning and learning, contributing to our knowledge of the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. Research has shown that the amygdala is the cornerstone of fear circuitry and that abnormalities in amygdala pathways can affect the acquisition and expression of fear conditioning. Activation of the amygdala in response to disorder-relevant stimuli has been observed in anxiety disorders. The roles of the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, periaqueductal gray, and insular and medial prefrontal cortices in response to fear have been identified as well. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, and some neurosteroids play an important part in the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. Neuropeptides such as oxytocin, neuropeptide Y, galanin, and cholecystokinin have been shown to modulate stress response. Drugs such as N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists and blockers of voltage-gated calcium channels in the amygdala are anxiolytic. Fear extinction, which entails new learning of fear inhibition, is the mechanism of effective antianxiety treatments such as d-cycloserine, a partial NMDA agonist. Extinction is thought to occur by the medial prefrontal cortex, which inhibits the lateral amygdala under hippocampal modulation. Harnessing extinction to delink neutral stimuli from aversive responses is an important goal of the psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders. Discovery of the role of microRNAs in the etiology of anxiety disorders and their possible utility as targets to treat these disorders is fascinating. In this review, we discuss the neurobiology of anxiety disorders, which will help us better manage them clinically. This review contains 5 figures, 6 tables, and 39 references. Key words: Amygdala, anxiety disorders, neurobiology, fear conditioning, neurocircuitry, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, neurosteroids, endogenous opioids.

scholarly journals Effects of intolerance of uncertainty on subjective and psychophysiological measures during fear acquisition and delayed extinction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maren Klingelhöfer-Jens ◽  
Jayne Morriss ◽  
Tina B Lonsdorf
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Acquisition Training ◽  
Extinction Training ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Psychophysiological Measures ◽  
Learned Fear ◽  
Startle Blink

Individuals who score high in self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) tend to find uncertainty unacceptable and aversive. In recent years, research has shed light on the role of IU in modulating subjective (i.e. expectancy ratings) and psychophysiological responses (i.e. skin conductance) across different classical fear conditioning procedures, particularly that of immediate extinction. However, there remain gaps in understanding how IU, in comparison to other negative emotionality traits (STAI-T), impact different types of subjective and psychophysiological measures during different classical fear conditioning procedures. Here, we analyzed IU, STAI-T, subjective (i.e. fear ratings) and psychophysiological (i.e. skin conductance, auditory startle blink) data recorded during fear acquisition training and 24h-delayed extinction training (n = 66). Higher IU, over STAI-T, was: (1) significantly associated with greater fear ratings to the learned fear cue during fear acquisition training, and (2) at trend associated with greater fear ratings to the learned fear versus safe cue during delayed extinction training. Both IU and STAI-T were not related to skin conductance or auditory startle blink during fear acquisition training and delayed extinction training. These results add to and extend our current understanding of the role of IU on subjective and physiological measures during different fear conditioning procedures, particularly that of delayed extinction training. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Threat imminence dictates the role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in contextual fear

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis D. Goode ◽  
Gillian M. Acca ◽  
Stephen Maren
Keyword(s):  
Unconditioned Stimulus ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Conditioning Procedure ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Reversible Inactivation ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Contextual Fear ◽  
Context Dependent

ABSTRACTPrevious work indicates that the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is involved in defensive freezing to unpredictable Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (Goode et al., 2019). Here we show that the BNST mediates freezing to contexts paired with remote (unpredictable), but not imminent (predictable), footshock. Rats underwent a fear conditioning procedure in which a single footshock unconditioned stimulus (US) was delivered either 1 (imminent) or 9 minutes (remote) after placement in the context; each rat received a total of four conditioning trials over two days. Contexts associated with either imminent or remote USs produced distinct patterns of freezing and shock-induced activity but freezing in each case was context-dependent. Reversible inactivation of the BNST reduced the expression of contextual freezing in the context paired with remote, but not imminent, footshock. Implications of these data are discussed in light of recent conceptualizations of BNST function, as well as for anxiety behaviors.

Assessing the Role of Contingency Awareness in Attitudinal Conditioning with Implications for Advertising Research

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris T. Allen ◽  
Chris A. Janiszewski
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Basic Mechanism ◽  
Contingency Learning ◽  
Television Commercials ◽  
Conditioning Procedure ◽  
Contingency Awareness ◽  
Evaluative Judgments ◽  
Post Hoc

The authors investigate a basic mechanism for shaping attitudes that has largely been ignored by empirical researchers in the marketing discipline. Two experiments are reported in which traditional Pavlovian procedures are merged with a view of conditioning that encourages theorizing about attendant cognitive processes. The data indicate that contingency learning or awareness may be a requirement for successful attitudinal conditioning. Contingency awareness entails conscious recognition of the relational pattern between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli used in a conditioning procedure. In experiment 1, the conditioning procedure affected the evaluative judgments of subjects who were classified ( post hoc) as contingency aware. In experiment 2, instructions that promoted contingency learning as part of the procedure again influenced participants’ attitude judgments. Implications are offered for theory development and for constructing advertisements to foster attitudinal conditioning. Specific suggestions for further research on how one might structure television commercials to foster contingency learning also are presented.

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