Does an unconditioned stimulus memory devaluation procedure decrease disgust memories and conditioned disgust?:Results of two laboratory studies

Research has demonstrated that disgust can be installed through classical conditioning by pairing neutral conditioned stimuli (CSs) with disgusting unconditioned stimuli (USs). Disgust has been argued to play an important role in maintaining fear-related disorders. This maintaining role may be explained by conditioned disgust being less sensitive to extinction (i.e., experiencing the CS in the absence of the US). Promising alternatives to extinction training are procedures that focus on the devaluation of US memory representations. In the current study, we investigated whether such devaluation procedures can be successful to counter conditioned disgust. We conducted two laboratory studies (N = 120 and N = 51) in which disgust was conditioned using audio-visual USs. Memory representations of the USs were devalued by having participants recall these USs while they performed a taxing eye-movement task or executed one of several control tasks. The results showed successful conditioned disgust acquisition. However, no strong evidence was obtained that an US memory devaluation procedure modulates disgust memory and diminishes conditioned disgust as indicated by subjective, behavioral, or psychophysiological measures. We discuss the relevance of our results for methodological improvements regarding US memory devaluation procedures and disgust conditioning

OCD-like checking in the lab: A meta-analysis and improvement of an experimental paradigm

Van den Hout and Kindt (2003a) developed a Virtual Gas Stove Checking paradigm. They demonstrated that repeated checking resulted in lower confidence and reduced the vividness and detail of recollections. Over the past decades, many experiments have used (an adaptation of) this experimental paradigm to study phenomena related to obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD). The first aim of the present study was to conduct a meta-analysis of experiments (k = 28; N = 1662) on the repeated checking paradigm. Repeated checking was found to have large effects on decreases in memory confidence, vividness and detail. Unexpectedly, repeated checking also produced small reductions in memory accuracy. The second aim of the present study was to develop an improved version of the checking paradigm in which 1) stimuli presentations were fully balanced; and 2) the checking latency was comparable across stimuli in order to 3) assess actual checking behavior. The improved version (Virtual checking task 2.0) replicated earlier findings on meta-memory.FSW – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Not Just right experiences as ironic result of perseverative checking

Objective: patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocD) typically report to have “not just right experiences” (NJRE). up till now it is unclear which behavioral ocD features may give rise to NJREs. We used an induced checking paradigm to experimentally study whether perseverative checking elicits NJREs. Method: two experiments separately tested this hypothesis among n = 48 (Experiment i) and n = 55 (Experiment ii) healthy participants. We used a virtual checking task, in which participants either checked gas stoves or light bulbs. all participants started and ended with a trial in which they checked a gas stove (i.e., pre- and post-test). in between, the experimental group repeatedly checked the gas stove (i.e., relevant checking), while the control group repeatedly checked light bulbs (i.e., irrelevant checking). at pre- and post-test, all participants answered questions about the corresponding gas stove checking trial (i.e., memory confidence, vividness and details) and rated their level of NJRE. Results: in line with previous research, both experiments showed that relevant checking (as opposed to irrelevant checking) resulted in reduced memory confidence and less vivid and detailed recollections of the last checking trial. Most importantly, both studies found a medium effect for increased NJREs after relevant checking compared to irrelevant checking. Since not all results reached statistical significance in the individual studies, we combined the findings in a meta-analysis that clearly confirmed our hypotheses. Conclusions: Data of Experiment i and ii strongly suggest that repeated checking results in NJRE

Does dual-tasking neutralize emotional memory and reduce conditioned responses?

This experiment tested whether dual-tasking (i.e., recalling the emotional memory while performing a visuospatial dual-task) neutralizes emotional memory, thereby decreasing conditioned responses. Undergraduates completed a differential conditioning paradigm with pictures of food items as conditioned stimulus (CS) and an aversive film clip (someone vomiting) as unconditioned stimulus (US). Following acquisition, there were three conditions: dual-tasking, recall only, or a filler task. Next, in the test phase, CSs and actual food items were presented. We expected that dualtasking, relative to control conditions, would decrease vividness/emotionality of the US memory, reduce CRs and increase willingness to eat the actual food items. Results and theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed

Reducing negative stimulus valence does not attenuate the return of fear : Two counterconditioning experiments

Exposure-based treatment for anxiety disorders is effective for many patients, but relapse is not uncommon. One predictor of the return of fear is the negative valence of fear-relevant stimuli. The aim of the current experiments was to examine whether counterconditioning with positive film clips reduces this negative stimulus valence as well as the return of fear, compared to standard extinction training and to an extinction training with non-contingent exposure to the positive film clips. Participants were 87 students in Experiment 1 (three-day paradigm), and 90 students in Experiment 2 (one-day paradigm). They first underwent a differential acquisition phase, in which one of three pictures was paired with an electric shock. They were then randomly allocated to one of the three intervention groups. Afterwards, they underwent a test phase in which pictures were presented without shock (to measure spontaneous recovery of fear), which was followed by unsignaled shocks to induce reinstatement of extinguished fear. Outcome variables were self-reported stimulus valence, shock expectancy, skin conductance, and fear-potentiated startle. In both experiments, counterconditioning decreased negative stimulus valence, relative to the other interventions, but it did not reduce spontaneous fear recovery or fear reinstatement. Overall, our findings do not support the notion that counterconditioning reduces return of fear

Does an unconditioned stimulus memory devaluation procedure decrease disgust memories and conditioned disgust?: Results of two laboratory studies

Research has demonstrated that disgust can be installed through classical conditioning by pairing neutral conditioned stimuli (CSs) with disgusting unconditioned stimuli (USs). Disgust has been argued to play an important role in maintaining fear-related disorders. This maintaining role may be explained by conditioned disgust being less sensitive to extinction (i.e., experiencing the CS in the absence of the US). Promising alternatives to extinction training are procedures that focus on the devaluation of US memory representations. In the current study, we investigated whether such devaluation procedures can be successful to counter conditioned disgust. We conducted two laboratory studies (N = 120 and N = 51) in which disgust was conditioned using audio-visual USs. Memory representations of the USs were devalued by having participants recall these USs while they performed a taxing eye-movement task or executed one of several control tasks. The results showed successful conditioned disgust acquisition. However, no strong evidence was obtained that an US memory devaluation procedure modulates disgust memory and diminishes conditioned disgust as indicated by subjective, behavioral, or psychophysiological measures. We discuss the relevance of our results for methodological improvements regarding US memory devaluation procedures and disgust conditioning

Reduced return of threat expectancy after counterconditioning versus extinction

Exposure-based therapies are effective for anxiety disorders, but relapse remains a problem. One explanation might be that exposure therapy reduces threat expectancy but not related feelings of unpleasantness (negative valence of the conditioned stimulus; CS+), which may promote return of threat expectancy and associated fear. Laboratory research has indeed shown that fear extinction leaves negative valence of the conditioned stimulus (CS+) intact. Here, we tested whether adding positive consequences to the CS+ during extinction, a procedure known as counterconditioning, would change the valence of the CS+ and thereby prevent return of threat expectancy. Participants underwent Acquisition (day 1), Intervention (counterconditioning or extinction; day 2), and Spontaneous recovery and Reinstatement (day 3). As expected, threat expectancy ratings during the Spontaneous recovery and Reinstatement tests were lower after counterconditioning than after extinction, but counterconditioning did not reduce CS + negative valence more than extinction. Alternative mechanisms and clinical implications are discussed