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Fear conditioning, preparedness, and the contingent negative variation
Psychophysiology
|May 1, 1995
Summary
This study shows that the contingent negative variation (CNV) brain response is larger for fear-relevant stimuli, supporting the preparedness theory of fear. This suggests CNV reflects automatic emotional reactions to threatening cues.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Previous psychophysiological research on preparedness primarily examined autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity.
- Electrocortical measures offer an alternative approach to investigate fear conditioning and preparedness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate electrocortical indices of fear conditioning using the contingent negative variation (CNV).
- To examine whether the CNV differentiates between fear-relevant and fear-irrelevant stimuli during conditioning and extinction.
Main Methods:
- Ten subjects underwent fear conditioning with fear-relevant (small animals) and fear-irrelevant (landscapes) stimuli.
- The contingent negative variation (CNV) was measured during acquisition and extinction phases, with conditioned stimuli (CS+) followed by an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) or omission.
Main Results:
- Significantly larger CNV amplitudes were observed for CS+ versus CS- in the fear-relevant condition during both acquisition and extinction.
- CNV differentiation between CS+ and CS- was weak in the fear-irrelevant condition.
- CNV was significantly larger for CS+ in the fear-relevant compared to the fear-irrelevant condition.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the preparedness theory, suggesting an innate predisposition to fear certain stimuli.
- The CNV may reflect automatic affective responses to evolutionarily relevant threats.
- Electrocortical measures are valuable for studying phobias and cognition-affect interactions.