Reducing avoidance in adults with high spider fear using perceptual discrimination training.
discrimination learning
fear
generalization
perception
Journal
Depression and anxiety
ISSN: 1520-6394
Titre abrégé: Depress Anxiety
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9708816
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2019
09 2019
Historique:
received:
07
12
2018
revised:
17
05
2019
accepted:
25
05
2019
pubmed:
25
6
2019
medline:
6
2
2020
entrez:
25
6
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Fear overgeneralization is a central feature of anxiety disorders and can lead to excessive avoidance. As perceptual discrimination is a key component of fear overgeneralization, a perceptual discrimination training task was created aimed at improving perceptual discrimination and reducing fear overgeneralization. Participants with high spider fear were randomized into training or placebo conditions. After completing their assigned task, perceptual discrimination was tested. Thereafter, participants completed a behavioral avoidance test, consisting of five stimuli ranging from a paper spider to a live tarantula. Last, participants completed a threat/safety discrimination task using schematic morphs ranging from a flower to a spider, while self-report and skin conductance responses were collected. The training group showed better perceptual discrimination during the test than did the placebo group. Furthermore, as stimuli became increasingly similar to a live spider, participants in the training group exhibited decreased avoidance behavior. Finally, participants in the training group indicated that schematic morphs were less similar to a spider and showed less physiological arousal than did the placebo group. Together, these results attest to the possible clinical relevance of the perceptual discrimination training.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Fear overgeneralization is a central feature of anxiety disorders and can lead to excessive avoidance. As perceptual discrimination is a key component of fear overgeneralization, a perceptual discrimination training task was created aimed at improving perceptual discrimination and reducing fear overgeneralization.
METHODS
Participants with high spider fear were randomized into training or placebo conditions. After completing their assigned task, perceptual discrimination was tested. Thereafter, participants completed a behavioral avoidance test, consisting of five stimuli ranging from a paper spider to a live tarantula. Last, participants completed a threat/safety discrimination task using schematic morphs ranging from a flower to a spider, while self-report and skin conductance responses were collected.
RESULTS
The training group showed better perceptual discrimination during the test than did the placebo group. Furthermore, as stimuli became increasingly similar to a live spider, participants in the training group exhibited decreased avoidance behavior. Finally, participants in the training group indicated that schematic morphs were less similar to a spider and showed less physiological arousal than did the placebo group.
CONCLUSIONS
Together, these results attest to the possible clinical relevance of the perceptual discrimination training.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Randomized Controlled Trial
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
859-865Informations de copyright
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.