Pilot for novel context generalization paradigm

Following an aversive experience, fears often generalize across contexts. Contextual fear generalization is modeled in a laboratory paradigm in which one context (CTX+) is paired with an aversive unconditional stimulus (US), while the other context (CTX-) is not. The current study sought to validate a novel paradigm assessing contextual fear generalization, and to determine the extent to which stress and anxiety symptoms enhanced contextual fear generalization.

Fifty-nine participants were randomized to a stress induction or control arithmetic test, followed by a differential context fear conditioning paradigm. One to three days later, participants completed a generalization gradient test with CTX+, CTX, and four generalization contexts.

We found successful contextual fear conditioning on measures of US expectancy, self-report fear and valence, and startle reflex, and linear generalization across the contextual gradient on expectancies and self-report measures. Acute stress induction impaired learning of the US-CTX + association during context fear acquisition. Anxiety significantly predicted greater contextual fear generalization as measured by US expectancy.

Our study provides pilot data introducing a novel fear conditioning paradigm to assess contextual generalization of fear. There is a need for further replication to validate its utility.

Findings suggest that individuals high in anxiety show greater contextual fear generalization as measured by US expectancy. Results are discussed in terms of potential mechanisms that contribute to pervasive anxiety.