Pavlovian conditioning of phobic fear: effects on skin and salivary pH
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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Human Fear Conditioning Conducted in Full Immersion 3-Dimensional Virtual Reality
Published on: August 9, 2010
P Chorot1, B Sandin, J L Fernandez-Trespalacios
1Departamento de Psicología de la Personalidad, Facultad de Psicologiá, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
This experimental work was designed to investigate the relationships between pH and conditioned fear. The levels of pH were measured in skin and saliva, and were studied in connection with conditioned electrodermal and heart rate (HR) responses (extinction versus resistance to extinction or enhancement). The results of this investigation show that the changes in skin and salivary pH have a tendency to occur in an inverse pattern to the changes in skin conductance and HR. The data are interpreted in terms of skin and salivary pH as new psychophysiological variables and as new tools for psychopathological and psychosomatic research.
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