Calibrating your own fears: Feasibility of a remote fear conditioning paradigm with semi-subjective stimulus calibration and differences in fear learning.
Avoidance
Fear conditioning
Fear generalization
Feasibility
Remote study
Stimulus calibration
Journal
Learning & behavior
ISSN: 1543-4508
Titre abrégé: Learn Behav
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101155056
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2023
09 2023
Historique:
accepted:
14
09
2022
medline:
20
9
2023
pubmed:
15
10
2022
entrez:
14
10
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Fear conditioning studies have occurred mostly in the laboratory, but recently researchers have started to adapt fear conditioning procedures for remote application. Standardization of aversive stimulus material not causing unnecessarily strong discomfort remains an issue especially relevant to research without experimental supervision. The present study introduces a novel semi-subjective method to calibrate aversive sounds in a remotely conducted fear conditioning paradigm. To demonstrate feasibility and proof of concept, 165 participants completed the paradigm, calibrating the loudness of an aversive sound without the guidance of an experimental instructor. This study also aimed to replicate existing findings of participant groups that differed in their early CS-UCS contingency awareness. Participants were classified as Accurate (UCS more likely after the CS+ than CS-), Poor (UCS more likely after the CS- than CS+, or UCS unlikely after either CS), and Threat Biased (UCS equally likely after the CS+ and CS-). Results indicated both the feasibility and efficacy of the paradigm, with participants showing typical patterns of fear learning. Threat Biased participants showed significantly higher uncertainty towards safety signals. There were no differences between the groups in terms of personality traits, thus questioning whether these attributes mediate differences in fear learning and the emergence of anxiety disorders. Using semi-subjective sound calibration appears to be functional, and future studies may consider implementing the new method when remotely administering fear conditioning paradigms.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36239878
doi: 10.3758/s13420-022-00545-1
pii: 10.3758/s13420-022-00545-1
pmc: PMC9568901
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
246-261Informations de copyright
© 2022. The Author(s).
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