scholarly journals Observed but Never Experienced – Vicarious Learning of Fear Under Ecological Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Szczepanik ◽  
Anna M. Kaźmierowska ◽  
Jarosław M. Michałowski ◽  
Marek Wypych ◽  
Andreas Olsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Stimulation ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Emotional Reaction ◽  
Declarative Knowledge ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Learning Situation ◽  
Stimulus Contingency ◽  
The Us ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle

AbstractLearning to avoid threats often occurs by observing the behavior of others. Most previous research on observational fear learning in humans has used pre-recorded stimuli as social cues. Here, we aimed to enhance the ecological validity of the learning situation: the ‘observer’ watched their friend (‘demonstrator’) performing a differential fear-conditioning task in real time. During the task, one conditioned stimulus (CS+) was repeatedly linked with electric stimulation (US) while another one (CS-) was always safe. Subsequently, the observer was presented with the CS+ and CS- directly but without receiving any shocks. Skin conductance (SCR) and fear-potentiated startle (FPS) responses were measured in observers throughout the whole experiment. While the US applied to the demonstrator elicited strong SCR in the observers, subsequent differential SCR to CSs (CS+ vs. CS-) presented directly were dependent on declarative knowledge of the CS+/US contingency. Contingency-aware observers also showed elevated FPS during both CS+ and CS- compared to intertrial intervals. We conclude that observational fear learning involves two components: an automatic emotional reaction to the response of the demonstrator and learning to predict stimulus contingency (CS+/US pairing). Ecological modifications proposed offer new perspectives on studying social learning of emotions.

scholarly journals Observational learning of fear in real time procedure

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Szczepanik ◽  
Anna M. Kaźmierowska ◽  
Jarosław M. Michałowski ◽  
Marek Wypych ◽  
Andreas Olsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Observational Learning ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Emotional Reaction ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Healthy Male ◽  
Stimulus Contingency ◽  
Skin Conductance Responses ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Observational Procedure

Abstract Learning to avoid threats often occurs by observing others. Most previous research on observational fear learning (OFL) in humans has used pre-recorded standardized video of an actor and thus lacked ecological validity. Here, we aimed to enhance ecological validity of the OFL by engaging participants in a real-time observational procedure (35 pairs of healthy male friends, age 18–27). One of the participants watched the other undergo a differential fear conditioning task, in which a conditioned stimulus (CS+) was paired with an aversive electric shock and another stimulus (CS−) was always safe. Subsequently, the CS+ and CS− were presented to the observer to test the OFL. While the friend’s reactions to the shock elicited strong skin conductance responses (SCR) in all observers, subsequent differential SCRs (CS+ > CS−) were found only when declarative knowledge of the CS+/US contingency (rated by the participants) was acquired. Contingency-aware observers also showed elevated fear potentiated startle responses during both CS+ and CS− compared to baseline. We conclude that our real-time procedure can be effectively used to study OFL. The procedure allowed for dissecting two components of the OFL: an automatic emotional reaction to the response of the demonstrator and learning about stimulus contingency.

scholarly journals Differences in perceptual memory influence generalization patterns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Kathrin Zenses ◽  
Jessica C. Lee ◽  
Jonas Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Important Determinant ◽  
Memory Bias ◽  
Memory Recall ◽  
Conditioning Procedure ◽  
Perceptual Memory ◽  
The Us ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Stimulus Features ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
The Relationship

Although memory of past experiences is crucial for the ability to transfer knowledge to new situations, surprisingly little research has directly investigated the relationship between memory and generalization. The present study sought to investigate how the perceptual memory of a trained stimulus influences generalization to similar stimuli. Forty participants underwent a fear conditioning procedure on Day 1, and separate memory recall and generalization tests on Day 2. We focused on two aspects of perceptual memory: namely memory bias (i.e., over- or underestimating stimulus features) and uncertainty. We found that memory bias influenced the pattern of generalized self-reported (expectancy ratings) and psychophysiological responses (fear-potentiated startle responses). Memory uncertainty was measured in two ways: self-reported uncertainty ratings and variability in stimulus recall. We demonstrated that higher levels of self-reported memory uncertainty led to a broadening of the US expectancy generalization gradient, whereas an effect of variability in memory recall on generalization was only found for fear-potentiated startle responses. Taken together, our findings suggest that memory is an important determinant of generalized behavior and illustrate the need to account for these interindividual differences in perceptual memory when examining the generalization of learned responses.

047 Fear-Potentiated Startle and Sleep in Trauma-Exposed Men and Women with and without PTSD

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A20-A20
Author(s):  
Anne Richards ◽  
Sabra Inslicht ◽  
J Russell Huie ◽  
Leslie Yack ◽  
Laura Straus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Stress Condition ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Safety Signal ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Learning Retention ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Learning And Change ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Introduction Animal and human studies indicate that fear conditioning disrupts subsequent sleep, including REM sleep (REMS). REMS is thought to be central to fear information processing. We utilized an afternoon nap protocol to examine the effects of fear-potentiated startle (FPS), a variant of fear conditioning, on subsequent sleep integrity and REMS in trauma-exposed participants with varying levels of PTSD. We also examined the effects of changes in sleep integrity and REMS on subsequent retention and extinction of pre-sleep learning. Methods Participants (N=47) participated in 3 nap visits. The first was an adaptation nap. The second and third nap visits were counterbalanced: a stress-condition nap, during which participants underwent FPS procedures prior to a nap and assessment of retention of fear and safety signal learning and fear extinction after the nap, and a control visit during which participants had a nap opportunity without stressful procedures. Canonical correlation analysis assessed the relationship between FPS responses and change in subsequent sleep relative to a control nap, as well as the relationship between change in sleep from control to stress condition and both subsequent fear and safety learning retention, and subsequent extinction. Results Results demonstrated a relationship between fear learning and change in sleep and supported a relationship between safety signal learning and subsequent REMS, as well as differential conditioning and wake after sleep onset. Sleep did not predict measures of fear retention or extinction. PTSD symptoms did not predict fear learning or sleep measures. Conclusion These findings replicate prior work showing a relationship between safety learning and REMS, suggesting that this is a core mechanism through which stress impacts fear processing. Further research is critical to further understand this effect, and to examine how different aspects of fear learning impact different components of sleep. This study also demonstrates that nap studies can be a valuable approach for studying the stress-sleep relationship. Support (if any) VA Career Development Award to Dr. Richards (5IK2CX000871-05)

scholarly journals Secure attachment priming protects against relapse of fear in Young adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Metaxia Toumbelekis ◽  
Belinda J. Liddell ◽  
Richard A. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
Reinstatement Test

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that activating the attachment system attenuates fear learning. This study aimed to explore whether attachment priming can also impact on fear extinction processes, which underpin the management of anxiety disorders. In this study, 81 participants underwent a standard fear conditioning and extinction protocol on day 1 and returned 24 h later for an extinction recall and reinstatement test. Half the participants were primed to imagine their closest attachment figure prior to undergoing extinction training, while the other half were instructed to imagine a positive situation. Fear-potentiated startle and subjective expectancies of shock were measured as the primary indicators of fear. Attachment priming led to less relapse during the reinstatement test at the physiological but not subjective levels. These findings have translational potential to imply that activating awareness of attachment figures might augment long-term safety memories acquired in existing treatments to reduce relapse of fear.

scholarly journals Does a pedagogical agent’s gesture frequency assist advanced foreign language users with learning declarative knowledge?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O. Davis ◽  
Joseph Vincent ◽  
Lili Wan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Declarative Knowledge ◽  
Social Cues ◽  
Cued Recall ◽  
Pedagogical Agents ◽  
The Social ◽  
Pointing Gestures ◽  
Multimedia Environments

AbstractSince the conception of pedagogical agents in multimedia environments, researchers have advocated for agents to be designed to exhibit social cues that prime the social interaction of the target audience. One powerful social cue has been agent gesturing. While most agents are created only to use deictic (pointing) gestures, there is recent evidence that agents that perform all gesture types (iconic, metaphoric, deictic, and beat) with enhanced frequency help foreign language users learn more procedural knowledge. Therefore, this research examines how all gesture types and different frequencies influence agent persona and learning outcomes when foreign language users learn declarative knowledge. The results indicated that the use of gestures, regardless of frequency, significantly increase agent persona. However, gesture frequency produced conflicting learning outcomes. While enhancing gestures were beneficial for cued recall and recognition, the average gesture condition was not, which indicates that the strength of social cues is important.

scholarly journals The cerebellum is involved in processing of predictions and prediction errors in a fear conditioning paradigm

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Ernst ◽  
A Brol ◽  
M Gratz ◽  
C Ritter ◽  
U Bingel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Conditioning Paradigm ◽  
The Neural Network ◽  
The Us ◽  
Crus I ◽  
Healthy Participants ◽  
Significant Activation

AbstractPrediction errors are thought to drive associative fear learning. Surprisingly little is known about the possible contribution of the cerebellum. To address this question, healthy participants underwent a differential fear conditioning paradigm during 7T magnetic resonance imaging. An event-related design allowed us to separate cerebellar fMRI signals related to the visual conditioned stimulus (CS) from signals related to the subsequent unconditioned stimulus (US; an aversive electric shock). We found significant activation of cerebellar lobules Crus I and VI bilaterally related to the CS+ compared to the CS-. Most importantly, significant activation of lobules Crus I and VI was also present during the unexpected omission of the US in unreinforced CS+ acquisition trials. This activation disappeared during extinction when US omission became expected. These findings provide evidence that the cerebellum has to be added to the neural network processing predictions and prediction errors in the emotional domain.

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