Abstract
Background
Aversive conditioning has been proposed as an important etiologic mechanism in social
phobia; however, empirical evidence is scarce and has not relied on a detailed analysis
of the acquisition and extinction of the conditioned emotional response.
Methods
Fourteen men sustaining generalized social phobia and 19 healthy control subjects
participated in differential aversive conditioning with two neutral faces as conditioned
stimuli and an aversive odor as unconditioned stimulus. Subjective and peripheral
physiological responses were obtained.
Results
Both groups were successfully conditioned as reflected by differential subjective
(valence, arousal, subjective unconditioned stimulus expectancy) and peripheral physiological
responses (skin conductance, startle response). There was no evidence for an enhanced
conditionability in the social phobics; however, they showed an enhanced unconditioned
stimulus expectancy, especially for the nonreinforced conditioned stimuli during acquisition,
and a delayed extinction of the conditioned skin conductance response as well as a
certain dissociation between subjective and physiological responses.
Conclusions
The enhanced unconditioned stimulus expectancy during acquisition and the overall
elevated subjective arousal suggest that, under threat, subjects with generalized
social phobia may be more prone to associate neutral social cues and an aversive outcome.
Furthermore, delayed extinction of the conditioned response seems to contribute to
the etiology and maintenance of generalized social phobia.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 11,
2002
Received in revised form:
February 6,
2002
Received:
January 24,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
