title: Stronger renewal in human fear conditioning when tested with an acquisition retrieval cue than with an extinction retrieval cue.
abstract: It was previously demonstrated in our laboratory that conditioned fear in humans can renew after extinction, when this procedure took place in a different context (ABA-renewal [Vansteenwegen et al. (2005). Return of fear in a human differential conditioning paradigm caused by a return to the original acquisition context. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43(3), 323-336]). Using the same experimental design, we now tested the power of retrieval cues to interact with this contextual renewal phenomenon. Two groups went through acquisition and extinction (in a different context). They were then tested in the original acquisition context and in the presence of a retrieval cue. In the acquisition-cue group, this cue previously featured during the acquisition procedure; in the extinction-cue group, the cue previously featured during the extinction procedure. As expected, renewal of conditioned electro-dermal responding and retrospective expectancy ratings was strongest in the acquisition-cue group. Theoretical and clinical implications of this finding are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Behaviour Therapy, Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. deb.vansteenwegen@psy.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansteenwegen
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vervliet
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hermans
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: D001245:Association Learning; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D005108:Extinction, Psychological; D005239:Fear; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008029:Lighting; D011601:Psychophysics