Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
When frustration is repeated: behavioral and emotion responses during extinction over time
Angela M Crossman1, Margaret Wolan Sullivan, Daniel M Hitchcock
1Institute for the Study of Child Development, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|February 4, 2009
Summary
Infant learning groups showed distinct emotional and behavioral responses to repeated goal blockage. Repeated extinction led to persistent instrumental responding and anger in one group, while another group
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Infant cognition and emotion
Background:
- Infants' emotional and behavioral persistence in response to goal blockage is crucial for understanding development.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the relationship between learning acquisition and emotional expression during repeated frustration in early infancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate persistence in instrumental responding and negative facial expressions in 4-month-old infants following repeated goal blockage.
- To compare these responses between infants who learned a contingency in Session 1 versus those who learned in Session 2.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-three 4-month-old infants participated in two daily sessions, each including baseline, contingency learning, and extinction phases.
- Infants were categorized into 'Learning Group 1' (learned in Session 1) and 'Learning Group 2' (learned in Session 2) based on performance criteria.
- Instrumental responses and facial expressions during extinction were recorded and analyzed for each learning group across sessions.
Main Results:
- Learning Group 1 exhibited persistent instrumental responding and anger expressions upon repeated extinction, mirroring Learning Group 2's responses only on their learning day (Session 2).
- Learning Group 2 initially displayed more sadness and blended anger/sadness expressions, which decreased with repeated exposure to the contingency in Session 2.
- The study identified significant individual differences in emotional and behavioral persistence linked to the timing of learning acquisition.
Conclusions:
- The timing of learning acquisition influences the persistence of instrumental responding and the expression of negative emotions like anger in infants.
- Infant emotional responses, such as sadness and anger, are modulated by repeated experiences of goal blockage and contingency learning.
- Findings suggest a complex interplay between cognitive development (learning) and emotional regulation in early infancy.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
01:23Principles of Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning, as described by Ivan Pavlov, is a foundational concept in associative learning, where a neutral stimulus becomes capable of eliciting a conditioned response through association with an unconditioned stimulus. The process of acquisition, where this learning occurs, and the subsequent phenomena of contiguity, contingency, generalization, discrimination, extinction, and spontaneous recovery are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of classical conditioning.
During the...
During the...
01:14Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
01:25Self-Regulation
Self-regulation, also known as self-control, encompasses a range of cognitive and behavioral processes that allow individuals to adjust their internal states and outward actions to align with socially acceptable norms and long-term goals. It plays a fundamental role in adaptive functioning, from resisting impulsive behaviors to persisting through challenging tasks. While its benefits are widely recognized, self-regulation is not limitless. Muraven and Baumeister's theory posits that...
01:22Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy incorporates diverse techniques rooted in classical conditioning principles to address maladaptive behaviors and anxiety disorders. These methods aim to reduce avoidance behaviors, foster adaptive coping mechanisms, and alter associations between stimuli and responses, making them effective in a wide range of therapeutic contexts.
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
Exposure therapy is a cornerstone of behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders. It involves systematic exposure to feared stimuli, either in real...
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...