Fear conditioning and stimulus generalization in patients with social anxiety disorder

Lea M Ahrens; Paul Pauli; Andreas Reif; Andreas Mühlberger; Gernot Langs; Tim Aalderink; Matthias J Wieser

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.10.003

Fear conditioning and stimulus generalization in patients with social anxiety disorder

J Anxiety Disord. 2016 Dec:44:36-46. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.10.003. Epub 2016 Oct 5.

Authors

Lea M Ahrens¹, Paul Pauli², Andreas Reif³, Andreas Mühlberger⁴, Gernot Langs⁵, Tim Aalderink⁵, Matthias J Wieser⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: lea.ahrens@uni-wuerzburg.de.
² Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany; Center of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Germany.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt, Germany.
⁴ Department of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Regensburg, Germany.
⁵ Schön Klinik Bad Bramstedt, Germany.
⁶ Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands.

PMID: 27728838
DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.10.003

Abstract

Although overgeneralization seems to be a hallmark of several anxiety disorders, this until now has not been investigated in social anxiety disorder (SAD). Therefore, we examined fear generalization in 26 SAD patients and 29 healthy controls (HC) using two faces as conditioned stimuli (CS+, CS-), and a loud scream and a fearful face as unconditioned stimulus (US). Generalization was tested by presenting both CS and four morphs of the two faces (generalization stimuli [GSs]), while ratings, heart rate (HR) and skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded. Results revealed that SAD patients rated all stimuli as less pleasant and more arousing compared to HC. Moreover, ratings and SCR indicated that both groups generalized their acquired fear from the CS+ to GSs. Remarkably, only SAD patients showed generalization in HR responses (fear bradycardia). Overall, SAD seems not to be characterized by strong overgeneralization but discrepancies in fear responses to both conditioned and generalized threat stimuli.

Keywords: Fear conditioning; Fear generalization; Heart rate; Patients; Skin conductance response; Social anxiety disorder.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Anxiety / psychology*
Conditioning, Classical / physiology*
Fear / physiology*
Female
Generalization, Psychological / physiology*
Generalization, Stimulus / physiology*
Humans
Male
Phobia, Social / psychology*
Young Adult