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Extinction in fear conditioning: effects on startle modulation and evaluative self-reports
D Vansteenwegen1, G Crombez, F Baeyens
1Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
Psychophysiology
|December 9, 1998
Summary
Human evaluative conditioning shows acquired valence is resistant to extinction. However, startle modulation, an index of acquired valence, did not reflect this resistance in our study.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Human evaluative conditioning involves associating neutral stimuli with valenced outcomes.
- Acquired valence, or the emotional value assigned to stimuli, is typically resistant to extinction.
- Startle modulation is proposed as a physiological index of acquired valence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if startle modulation, as an index of acquired valence, exhibits resistance to extinction.
- To compare subjective valence reports with startle modulation during extinction.
Main Methods:
- A differential fear conditioning paradigm was employed with 38 participants.
- An electrocutaneous stimulus served as the unconditioned stimulus (US).
- A strong extinction protocol involved removing US-electrodes and extended extinction trials.
Main Results:
- Subjective valence reports remained resistant to extinction, with CS+ rated more negatively than CS-.
- Differential skin conductance responses extinguished completely.
- Startle modulation did not demonstrate resistance to extinction.
Conclusions:
- Subjective valence and startle modulation may dissociate during extinction of conditioned responses.
- Startle modulation might not consistently reflect the resistance to extinction characteristic of human evaluative conditioning.
- Findings prompt re-evaluation of extinction conceptualizations in relation to physiological measures.