Aversive respondent conditioning: effects of CS presentation during extinction training on CR resurgence

• Grant number: 11/18516-8
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2012 - February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal researcher: Maria Helena Leite Hunziker
• Grantee: Maria Helena Leite Hunziker
• Home Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Studies on extinction of aversive respondent conditioning have shown that a conditional response (CR) may reappear (resurgence) after being extinguished under several conditions: after the passage of time, when the CS is presented in a context different from the context where extinction occurred, or when the US is presented without the CS. Recently, Schiller et al. (2010) have demonstrated that the CR may be persistently inhibited if an interval between the first and subsequent presentations of the CS is given during extinction. This research consists of a direct replication of this experiment as a way of initiating a series of studies on extinction of respondent behavior in our laboratory. Twenty adult participants will be exposed to a mild electric stimulation (US) and three colored squares (CSs). The CR will be measured through skin conductance response (SCR) during CS presentation. Subjects will be divided into two groups (n=10) and will undergo three consecutive stages 24 hours apart: (a) Conditioning (all groups) - two CSs (CSa+ and CSb+) will be paired with the US and one CS (CS-) will never be paired with the US; (b) Extinction (Experimental group) - CSa+ will be presented a single time without US, followed by a 10min interval, then the CSa+, CSb+ and CS- will be repeatedly presented without the US; Extinction (Control group) - the three CSs will be repeatedly presented without the US; (c) Re-extinction and Resurgence Test (all groups) - the US will be presented four times without the CSs, followed by a 10min interval, and successive presentations of the three CSs without the US. We will compare the difference between CRs during presentation of each stimulus in the first trial of re-extinction with the last trial of extinction. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZUCCOLO, PEDRO FONSECA; LEITE HUNZIKER, MARIA HELENA. A review of boundary conditions and variables involved in the prevention of return of fear after post-retrieval extinction. Behavioural Processes, v. 162, p. 39-54, MAY 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.