title: Post-acquisition repetitive thought in fear conditioning: an experimental investigation of the effect of CS-US-rehearsal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although repetitive thought (e.g., worry) is generally assumed to be a risk factor for psychopathological disorders such as anxiety disorders, the repetitive thought processes occurring after a conditioning event have not yet received much theoretical attention. However, as repetitive thought can be mimicked by (mental) rehearsal, which is well-known to enhance memory performance, it seems worthwhile to explore the role of rehearsal in conditioning. Therefore, the current study investigates the impact of rehearsing an acquired CS-US-contingency on subsequent conditioned fear responding.
  
  
  METHODS
  After acquiring two CS-US-contingencies with either a human scream or a white noise as US, participants were instructed to rehearse one of these CS-US-pairings during an experimental session as well as during the following week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fear responding to the CS which was previously paired with the scream persisted in the participants who rehearsed the CS-US(scream)-contingency, but decreased in those participants who rehearsed the CS-US(noise)-contingency. The same pattern emerged in the US-expectancy ratings, but the effect failed to reach significance. For the CS which was paired with the noise-US, no rehearsal effect emerged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As acquisition to the noise-US was less pronounced and less robust as compared to the scream-US, claims regarding the rehearsal effect might be hampered for the CS-US(noise)-contingency.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repetitive post-acquisition activation of a CS-US-contingency impacts CR retention. As the USs were not rated as more intense, aversive or startling after rehearsal compared to post-acquisition, US-inflation is discarded as a possible explanation of this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, Box 3712, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. els.joos@ppw.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joos
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vansteenwegen
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult