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Related Experiment Video

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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

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Published on: October 3, 2020

Disgust propensity potentiates evaluative learning of aversion.

Bunmi O Olatunji¹, Andrew Tomarken, Bieke David Puncochar

¹Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

|July 10, 2013

Summary

Disgust propensity (DP) may increase anxiety by strengthening learned negative associations. Higher DP intensifies negative emotional responses to conditioned stimuli, suggesting a mechanism for anxiety disorder development.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Psychophysiology

Background:

Disgust propensity (DP) is linked to anxiety disorders.
The precise mechanisms underlying this association require further investigation.
Learned aversion potentiation is a potential contributing factor.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if learned aversion potentiation mediates the link between DP and anxiety.
To examine the role of evaluative conditioning (EC) in developing aversion.
To assess the impact of DP on emotional responses to conditioned stimuli.

Main Methods:

103 participants underwent two EC paradigms, pairing neutral words with aversive or neutral images.
Participants completed measures of DP and trait anxiety.
Subjective affective ratings for stimuli were collected.

Main Results:

Conditioned stimuli (CS+) elicited significantly more disgust, anger, and anxiety compared to control stimuli (CS-).
DP predicted increased negative affect (disgust, anger, anxiety) towards CS+.
Intense negative affective responding to unconditioned stimuli (US) mediated the DP-anxiety link.

Conclusions:

Evaluative conditioning can potentiate learned aversion, particularly disgust.
DP influences the development of negative emotional responses, potentially conferring risk for anxiety psychopathology.
Learned aversion potentiation offers a mechanistic explanation for DP's role in anxiety disorders.