• Ann Meulders, Bram Vervliet, Riet Fonteyne, Frank Baeyens, Dirk Hermans, and Debora Vansteenwegen.
• Research Group on Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Department of Psychology, Belgium. ann.meulders@psy.kuleuven.be
• Int J Psychophysiol. 2012 May 1;84(2):180-7.

AbstractIt has been suggested that prior experiences with unpredictable/uncontrollable stressors facilitate subsequent fear learning and the development of anxiety disorders. However, animal research documents that preexposure to unpredictable stressors (USs) impede later fear conditioning with that US. These differential predictions were tested in a human experimental model of clinical anxiety. One (US-only) group was preexposed to unpredictable shocks, a second (Unpaired) group received explicitly unpaired presentations of a neutral shape and the shock, and a third (Paired) group received paired shape-shock presentations. Next, all groups received training with a novel shape, using the same shock (50% reinforcement). Fear responding was assessed through startle modulation and online shock-expectancy ratings. Results showed retarded fear learning in the unpredictable groups compared to the predictable group. We argue that prior experiences of unpredictability may still contribute to the development of clinical anxiety, by impeding adaptive fear learning and perpetuating the perception of unpredictability/uncontrollability.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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