Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli

Prepared learning theory posits that prepared associations are acquired rapidly and resist extinction. Although it has been shown repeatedly that prepared associations resist extinction, there is currently little evidence to support the proposal of faster acquisition. The current study provides such...

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Main Authors: Ho, Y., Lipp, Ottmar
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc. 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4163
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author Ho, Y.
Lipp, Ottmar
author_facet Ho, Y.
Lipp, Ottmar
author_sort Ho, Y.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Prepared learning theory posits that prepared associations are acquired rapidly and resist extinction. Although it has been shown repeatedly that prepared associations resist extinction, there is currently little evidence to support the proposal of faster acquisition. The current study provides such evidence using a within-subjects conditioning procedure with a 50% reinforcement schedule. Participants were presented with pictures of four animals, two fear-relevant (snake, spider) and two nonfear-relevant (fish, bird), one of each paired with an unpleasant electrotactile stimulus on 50% of the trials during acquisition. Differential electrodermal responding was observed within the first two blocks of acquisition for fear relevant but not for nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli, confirming the prediction that prepared associations are acquired faster than nonprepared associations.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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publishDate 2014
publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-41632019-02-19T05:34:47Z Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli Ho, Y. Lipp, Ottmar Fear learning Preparedness Electrodermal responses Prepared learning theory posits that prepared associations are acquired rapidly and resist extinction. Although it has been shown repeatedly that prepared associations resist extinction, there is currently little evidence to support the proposal of faster acquisition. The current study provides such evidence using a within-subjects conditioning procedure with a 50% reinforcement schedule. Participants were presented with pictures of four animals, two fear-relevant (snake, spider) and two nonfear-relevant (fish, bird), one of each paired with an unpleasant electrotactile stimulus on 50% of the trials during acquisition. Differential electrodermal responding was observed within the first two blocks of acquisition for fear relevant but not for nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli, confirming the prediction that prepared associations are acquired faster than nonprepared associations. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4163 10.1111/psyp.12223 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc. fulltext
spellingShingle Fear learning
Preparedness
Electrodermal responses
Ho, Y.
Lipp, Ottmar
Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title_full Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title_fullStr Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title_full_unstemmed Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title_short Faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
title_sort faster acquisition of conditioned fear to fear-relevant than to nonfear-relevant conditional stimuli
topic Fear learning
Preparedness
Electrodermal responses
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/4163