Citation

Lovibond PF, Chen SX, Mitchell CJ, Weidemann G. Biol. Psychol. 2013; 92(1): 9-16.

Affiliation

School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.09.007

PMID

21964284

Abstract

Two experiments examined competition between an instrumental avoidance response and a Pavlovian safety signal for association with omission of electric shock in a human fear conditioning paradigm. Self-reported shock expectancies and skin conductance responses were consistent with blocking of learning of the instrumental contingency by prior training of the Pavlovian contingency, and vice versa. The results support the idea that a common learning mechanism underlies both Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning. The expectancy data suggest that this learning mechanism is cognitive in nature, and that Pavlovian and instrumental learning involve external and internal attributions, respectively. The procedure may thus serve as a laboratory model for attributional processes involved in the acquisition of threat expectancies in anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Language: en