title: Effects of recent exposure to a conditioned stimulus on extinction of Pavlovian fear conditioning.
abstract: In six experiments we studied the effects of a single re-exposure to a conditioned stimulus (CS; "retrieval trial") prior to extinction training (extinction-reconsolidation boundary) on the development of and recovery from fear extinction. A single retrieval trial prior to extinction training significantly augmented the renewal and reinstatement of extinguished responding. Augmentation of recovery was not observed if the retrieval and extinction training occurred in different contexts. These results contrast with those reported in earlier papers by Monfils and coworkers in rats and by Schiller and coworkers in humans. We suggest that these contrasting results could depend on the contrasting influences of either: (1) occasion-setting contextual associations vs. direct context-CS associations formed as a consequence of the retrieval trial or (2) discrimination vs. generalization between the circumstances of conditioning and extinction.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Wan Yee Macy
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Hiu T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: R Frederick
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Westbrook
authors.forename: Gavan P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McNally
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear; D046352:Freezing Reaction, Cataleptic / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology