Individual differences in discriminatory fear learning under conditions of ambiguity: A vulnerability factor for anxiety disorders?

Frontiers in Psychology

Volumn 4, Issue MAY, 2013, Pages

  Arnaudova, Inna ^a   Krypotos, Angelos Miltiadis ^a   Effting, Marieke ^a   Boddez, Yannick ^b   Kindt, Merel ^a   Beckers, Tom ^a,b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM   (Netherlands)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Anxiety; Cue competition; Discriminatory fear learning; Individual differences; Selective fear conditioning

Indexed keywords

EID: 84878930491     PISSN: None     EISSN: 16641078     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00298     Document Type: Article

References (55)

1. American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
2. Antony, M. M., Bieling, P. J., Cox, B. J., Enns, M. W., and Swinson, R. P. (1998). Psychometric properties of the 42-item versions of the depression anxiety stress scales in clinical groups and a community sample. Psychol. Assess. 10, 176-181. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.176
3. Baas, J. M. P., van Ooijen, L., Goudriaan, A., and Kenemans, J. L. (2008). Failure to condition to a cue is associated with sustained contextual fear. Acta Psychol. (Amst.) 127, 581-592.
4. Bados, A., Gómez-Benito, J., and Balaguer, G. (2010). The state-trait anxiety inventory, trait version: does it really measure anxiety? J. Pers. Assess. 92, 560-567. doi:10.1080/00223891.2010.513295
5. Beckers, T., Krypotos, A.-M., Boddez, Y., Effting, M., and Kindt, M. (2013). What's wrong with fear conditioning? Biol. Psychol. 92, 90-96. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.12.015
6. Beesley, T., and Le Pelley, M. E. (2011). The influence of blocking on overt attention and associability in human learning. J. Exp. Psychol. Anim. Behav. Process. 37, 114-120. doi:10.1037/a0019526
7. Bieling, P. J., Antony, M. M., and Swinson, R. P. (1998). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, trait version: structure and content re-examined. Behav. Res. Ther. 36, 777-788. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00023-0
8. Blechert, J., Blechert, J., Michael, T., Vriends, N., Margraf, J., and Wilhelm, F. H. (2007). Fear conditioning in posttraumatic stress disorder: evidence for delayed extinction of autonomic, experiential and behavioural responses. Behav. Res. Ther. 45, 2019-2033. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2007.02.012
9. Boddez, Y., Baeyens, F., Luyten, L., Vasteenwegen, D., Hermans, D., and Beckers, T. (2013). Rating data are underrated: validity of US expectancy in human fear conditioning. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry 44, 201-206. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2012.08.003
10. Boddez, Y., Vervliet, B., Baeyens, F., Lauwers, S., Hermans, D., and Beckers, T. (2012). Expectancy bias in a selective conditioning procedure: trait anxiety increases the threat value of a blocked stimulus. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry 43, 832-837. doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.11.005
11. Brown, T. A., Chorpita, B. F., Korotitsch, W., and Barlow, D. H. (1997). Psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) in clinical samples. Behav. Res. Ther. 35, 79-89. doi:10.1016/S0005-7967(96)00068-X
12. Chan, C. K. Y., and Lovibond, P. F. (1996). Expectancy bias in trait anxiety. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 105, 637-647.doi:10.1037/0021-843X.105.4.637
13. Clara, I. P., Cox, B. J., and Enns, M. W. (2001). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scales in depressed and anxious patients. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess. 23, 61-67. doi:10.1023/A:1011095624717
14. Crawford, J. R., and Henry, J. D. (2003). The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS): normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample. Br. J. Clin. Psychol. 42, 111-131. doi:10.1348/014466503321903544
15. de Beurs, E., Van Dyck, R., Marquenie, L. A., Lange, A., and Blonk, R. W. B. (2001). De DASS: een vragenlijst voor het meten van depressie, angst en stress. [The Dutch DASS: a questionnaire for assessment of depression, anxiety and stress]. Gedragstherapie 34, 35-53.
16. de Bruin, G. O., Rassin, E., van der Heiden, C., and Muris, P. (2006). Psychometric properties of a Dutch version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Neth. J. Pychol. 62, 87-92. doi:10.1007/BF03061055
17. De Houwer, J., and Beckers, T. (2002). A review of recent developments in research and theories on human contingency learning. Q. J. Exp. Psychol. 55B, 289-310.
18. Dickinson, A., Shanks, D., and Evenden, J. (1984). Judgment of act-outcome contingency: the role of selective attribution. Q. J. Exp. Psychol. A 36, 29-50.
19. Eysenck, H. J. (1976). The learning theory model of neurosis - a new approach. Behav. Res. Ther. 14, 251-267. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(76)90001-2
20. Fonteyne, R., Vervliet, B., Hermans, D., Baeyens, F., and Vansteenwegen, D. (2009). Reducing chronic anxiety by making the threatening event predictable: an experimental approach. Behav. Res. Ther. 47, 830-839. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2009.06.011
21. Frederikson, M., and Georgiades, A. (1992). Personality dimensions and classical conditioning of autonomic nervous system reactions. Pers. Individ. Dif. 13, 1013-1020. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(92)90134-B
22. Freeston, M. H., Rheaume, J., Letarte, H., Dugas, M. J., and Ladoucer, R. (1994). Why do people worry? Pers. Individ. Dif. 17, 791-802. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(94)90048-5
23. Gazendam, F. J., Kamphuis, J. H., and Kindt, M. (2013). Deficient safety learning characterizes high trait anxious individuals. Biol. Psychol. 92, 342-352. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.11.006
24. Gazendam, F. J., and Kindt, M. (2012). Worrying affects associative fear learning: a startle fear conditioning study. PLoS ONE 7:e34882.
25. Grös, D. F., Antony, M. M., Simms, L. J., and McCabe, R. E. (2007). Psychometric properties of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA): comparison to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Psychol. Assess. 19, 369-381. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.19.4.369
26. Haselgrove, M., Esber, G. R., Pearce, J. M., and Jones, P. M. (2010). Two kinds of attention in Pavlovian conditioning: evidence for a hybrid model of learning. J. Exp. Psychol. Anim. Behav. Process. 36, 456-470. doi:10.1037/a0018528
27. Haselgrove, M., and Evans, L. H. (2010). Variations in selective and non-selective prediction error with the negative dimension of schizotypy. Q. J. Exp. Psychol. 63, 1127-1149. doi:10.1080/17470210903229979
28. Indovina, I., Robbins, T. W., Núñez-Elizalde, A. O., Dunn, B. D., and Bishop, S. J. (2011). Fear-conditioning mechanisms associated with trait vulnerability to anxiety in humans. Neuron 69, 563-571. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.12.034
29. Joos, E., Vansteenwegen, D., and Hermans, D. (2012). Worry as a predictor of fear acquisition in a nonclinical sample. Behav. Modif. 36, 723-750. doi:10.1177/0145445512446477
30. Kamin, L. J. (1969). "Predictability, surprise, attention, and conditioning," in Punishment and Aversive Behavior, ed. R. M. Church (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts), 279-296.
31. Le Pelley, M. E. (2004). The role of associative history in models of associative learning: a selective review and a hybrid model. Q. J. Exp. Psychol. 57B, 193-243.
32. Lissek, S., and Grillon, C. (2010). Overgeneralization of conditioned fear in the anxiety disorders. J. Psychol. 218, 146-148. doi:10.1027/0044-3409/a000022
33. Lissek, S., Pine, D. S., and Grillon, C. (2006). The strong situation: a potential impediment to studying the psychobiology and pharmacology of anxiety disorders. Biol. Psychol. 72, 265-270. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.11.004
34. Lissek, S., Powers, A. S., McClure, E. B., Phelps, E. A., Woldehawariat, G., Grillon, C., et al. (2005). Classical fear conditioning in the anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis. Behav. Res. Ther. 43, 1391-1424. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2004.10.007
35. Lissek, S., Rabin, S. J., Lukenbaugh, D., Geraci, M., Pine, D. S., and Grillon, C. (2010). Overgeneralization of conditioned fear as a pathogenic marker of panic disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry 167, 47-55. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09030410
36. Lommen, M. J. J., Engelhard, I. M., and van den Hout, M. A. (2010). Neuroticism and avoidance of ambiguous stimuli: better safe than sorry? Pers. Individ. Dif. 49, 1001-1006. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.08.012
37. Lovibond, P. F. (1998). Long-term stability of depression, anxiety and stress. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 107, 520-526. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.107.3.520
38. Lovibond, P. F. (2003). Causal beliefs and conditioned responses: retrospective revaluation induced by experience and by instruction. J. Exp. Psychol. Learn. Mem. Cogn. 29, 97-106. doi:10.1037/0278-7393.29.1.97
39. Lovibond, P. F., and Lovibond, S. H. (1995). The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behav. Res. Ther., 33, 335-343. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
40. Mineka, S., and Oehlberg, K. (2008). The relevance of recent developments in classical conditioning to understanding the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Acta Psychol. (Amst.) 127, 567-580.
41. Mineka, S., and Zinbarg, R. (2006). A contemporary learning theory perspective on the etiology of anxiety disorders: it's not what you thought it was. Am. Psychol. 61, 10-26. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.61.1.10
42. Novy, D. M., Nelson, D. V., Goodwin, J., and Rowzee, R. D. (1993). Psychometric comparability of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for different ethnic subpopulations. Psychol. Assess. 5, 343-349. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.5.3.343
43. Otto, M. W., Leyro, T. M., Christian, K., Deveney, C. M., Reese, H., Pollack, M. H., et al. (2007). Prediction of "fear" acquisition in healthy control participants in a De Novo fear-conditioning paradigm. Behav. Modif. 31, 32-51. doi:10.1177/0145445506295054
44. Pearce, J. M., and Bouton, M. E. (2001). Theories of associative learning in animals. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 52, 111-139. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.111
45. Pineles, S. L., Vogt, D. S., and Orr, S. P. (2009). Personality and fear responses during conditioning: beyond extraversion. Pers. Individ. Dif. 46, 48-53. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2008.09.003
46. Sanderman, R., Arrindell, W. A., Ranchor, A. V., Eysenck, H. J., and Eysenck, S. B. G. (2012). Het meten van persoonlijkheidskenmerken met de Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), een handleiding, Tweede herziene druk. [Manual to measuring personality with the Dutch EPQ. 2nd ed.]. Groningen: UMCG/Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
47. Shanks, D. R. (2010). Learning: from association to cognition. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 61, 273-301. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100519
48. Spence, K. W. (1964). Anxiety (drive) level and performance in eyelid conditioning. Psychol. Bull. 61, 129-139. doi:10.1037/h0042876
49. Spielberger, C. D., and Gorsuch, R. L. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) "Self-Evaluation Questionnaire". Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
50. Szabó, M. (2011). The emotional experience associated with worrying: anxiety, depression, or stress? Anxiety Stress Coping 24, 91-105. doi:10.1080/10615801003653430
51. Torrents-Rodas, D., Fullana, M. A., Bonillo, A., Caseras, X., Andión, O., and Torrubia, R. (2013). No effect of trait anxiety on differential fear conditioning or fear generalization. Biol. Psychol. 92, 185-190. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2012.10.006
52. van der Ploeg, H. M. (2000). Handleiding bij de Zelf-Beoordelings Vragenlijst. Een Nederlandstalige Bewerking van de Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-DY. [Test Manual Dutch State Trait Anxiety Inventory]. Lisse: Swets & Zeitlinger.
53. Vandorpe, S., and De Houwer, J. (2005). A comparison of forward blocking and reduced overshadowing in human causal learning. Psychon. Bull. Rev. 12, 945-949. doi:10.3758/BF03196790
54. Woody, S., and Rachman, S. (1994). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as an unsuccessful search for safety. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 14, 743-753. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(94)90040-X
55. Zinbarg, R., and Mohlman, J. (1998). Individual differences in the acquisition of affectively valenced associations. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 74, 1024-1040. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.4.1024