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Human fear conditioning is moderated by stimulus contingency instructions
Mertens,G. Boddez,Y. Krypotos,Angelos-Miltiadis Engelhard,I. M.
Mertens,G.
Boddez,Y.
Krypotos,Angelos-Miltiadis
Engelhard,I. M.
Abstract
Recent research findings indicate that human fear conditioning is affected by instructions, particularly those concerning the contingency between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, whether or not such instructions were provided to participants often remains unsaid in fear conditioning studies. In the current study (N = 102), we investigated whether conditioned fear acquisition depends on CS-US contingency instructions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group was instructed about the precise CS-US contingency before conditioning. The second group was instructed to discover the CS-US contingency. The third group did not receive any contingency instructions. We found facilitated fear acquisition (using skin conductance and startle) and increased contingency awareness in the first and second group compared to the third group. Furthermore, contingency reversal instructions immediately reversed conditioned responses. Based on these results, we advise to systematically report the contingency instructions used in fear conditioning research.
Description
Funding Information: GM, AMK, and IME are supported by a NWO VICI grant (grant number: 453-15-005 ) awarded to IME. YB is supported by Ghent University grant BOF16/MET_V/002 awarded to Jan De Houwer.
Date
2021
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Research Projects
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Keywords
ANXIETY, AWARENESS, EXTINCTION, Fear conditioning, INTOLERANCE, Instructions, Psychophysiology, RECALL, RESPONSES, REVERSAL, Replicability, SKIN-CONDUCTANCE, THREAT, UNCERTAINTY
Citation
Mertens, G, Boddez, Y, Krypotos, A-M & Engelhard, I M 2021, 'Human fear conditioning is moderated by stimulus contingency instructions', Biological Psychology, vol. 158, 107994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107994