title: Resistance to extinction in evaluative conditioning.
abstract: A well-demonstrated phenomenon in traditional Pavlovian conditioning research with humans is that of experimental extinction. In contrast, human evaluative conditioning research suggests that evaluative learning shows marked resistance to extinction. Here, the authors replicate both findings concurrently. Two differential fear conditioning experiments with an electrocutaneous stimulus as the unconditioned stimulus evidenced (a) sensitivity to extinction using an autonomic skin-conductance measure and (b) complete resistance to extinction using an affective-priming measure. The results corroborate the idea that evaluative conditioning is more resistant to extinction than is expectancy learning (F. Baeyens, P. Eelen, & G. Crombez, 1995).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. deb.vansteenwegen@psy.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansteenwegen
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Francken
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vervliet
authors.forename: Armand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Clercq
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eelen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male