Manipulation of dangerousness judgements to fear-relevant stimuli: effects on a priori UCS expectancy and a posteriori covariation assessment.
Using a covariation assessment procedure, the present study pre-experimentally manipulated subjects' assessments of the dangerousness of fear-relevant stimuli. The results demonstrated that this manipulation subsequently influenced both a priori expectancy that the stimulus will be followed by an aversive consequence (UCS), and inflated an a posteriori covariation bias indicating that subjects judged the stimulus to be followed more frequently by the aversive UCS than by a non-aversive stimulus. These findings support the view that judgments about such characteristics as the dangerousness of a stimulus causally contribute to a UCS expectancy bias and an a posteriori covariation bias, and thus contribute to the formation of selective associations.
Davey
G C
GC
Psychology Group, School of Cognitive & Computing Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, U.K.
Craigie
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology