The Role of Stimulus Specificity and Attention in the Generalization of Extinction

Author:

Barry Tom J.1,Griffith James W.2,Vervliet Bram1,Hermans Dirk1

Affiliation:

1. Centre for Learning Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

2. Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

Abstract

Exposure therapy for anxiety is effective but fear can still return afterward. This may be because the stimuli that people are exposed to are dissimilar from the stimuli to which fear was originally acquired. After pairing an animal-like image (A) with a shock stimulus (US), a perceptually similar stimulus (B) was presented without the US in extinction. Participants were then shown A (ABA), a second generalization stimulus (ABC) or B (ABB). Groups ABA and ABC evidenced a return of US expectancy relative to participants who were shown B (ABB). Participants in group ABC who self-reported high levels of attentional control evidenced greater return of expectancy relative to participants low in attentional control. Participants with a high level of attentional control also showed steeper extinction gradients. Attentional control may influence perceptions of similarity and the learning that follows. Making note of such differences may be valuable in exposure treatment for anxiety.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Psychiatry and Mental health,Clinical Psychology

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