title: Return of fear in a human differential conditioning paradigm caused by a return to the original acquistion context.
abstract: In a differential human fear conditioning paradigm evidence for ABA-renewal was obtained manipulating the lighting in the experimental room. During acquisition in either a dark or illuminated room, one neutral slide was sometimes paired with a loud aversive noise whereas another slide was not. Subsequently, extinction took place in the opposite lighting context. When afterwards the participants were tested again in the original acquisition context, measurements revealed a recovery of the conditioned electrodermal response and an increase in the retrospective verbal US-expectancy ratings. No response recovery was obtained in an AAA-group that received acquisition, extinction and test trials in one and the same context. Several theoretical explanations for this type of return of fear as well as implications for clinical practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Behaviour Therapy, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Leuven B-3000, Belgium. deb.vansteenwegen@psy.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansteenwegen
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vervliet
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Francken
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baeyens
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eelen
mesh_terms: D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008029:Lighting; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011581:Psychological Tests