Pavlovian conditioned inhibition of fear during shuttlebox avoidance behavior

Three experiments explored the development and function of conditioned inhibition of fear during the acquisition and maintenance of shuttlebox avoidance behavior. The development of inhibition to an exteroceptive feedback stimulus was found to be a function of the number of successive avoidance responses to which the animal had been trained and of the duration of the intertrial interval, a parameter shown also to affect the rate of acquisition of avoidance learning. Master animals who learned the instrumental avoidance response, and yoked animals who did not, showed equivalent inhibitory fear conditioning in each experiment. The results of one experiment suggest that conditioned inhibition plays no important role in “protecting” fear conditioned to the discrete warning signal during avoidance maintenance. These data indicate that feedback stimuli develop their inhibitory properties by a Pavlovian process and that certain aspects of their function may, therefore, be readily understood within the framework of mediational two-process learning theory.     

Spatial variables and the feature-positive effect

Pigeons were trained in discriminations where S+ and S? shared common visual elements but were distinguished by the presence or absence of a visual feature. When S+ contained the distinctive feature (the feature-positive condition), the pigeons rapidly learned to withold responses to S?: The learning rate was not markedly affected by changes in the relative size of the feature and the common element. When S? contained the distinctive feature (the feature-negative condition), the pigeons learned to withhold responses to S? more rapidly when the feature was large relative to the common element than when the feature was small relative to the common element. This effect was observed when the stimuli were present at the locus of response and when the stimuli were remote from the locus of response. To explain these results, and the results of generalization tests, it was proposed that the effectiveness of the feature in suppressing responding to the common element during feature-negative training depended on the relative size of the feature and the common element.     

Continuous punishment of free-operant avoidance in the rat

Three groups of albino rats were trained under a free-operant avoidance (Sidman) procedure with equal shock-shock and response-shock intervals. After stable performance was achieved, the animals were concurrently exposed to a brief electric shock after each response. The procedures were as follows: Punishment Schedule I: punishment shock was introduced at an intensity approximately one quarter that of avoidance shock; increments of nearly this same size were made as stable performance was achieved at succeeding punishment shock intensities. Punishment Schedule II: punishment shock was introduced at approximately one-half the intensity of avoidance shock; after stable performance, punishment shock was increased to the same intensity as avoidance shock. Punishment Schedule III: punishment shock was introduced and maintained at the same intensity as avoidance shock. Punishment was continued for all groups until one of two suppression criteria was attained. All animals made fewer responses and received more avoidance shocks as a function of increasing punishment shock. Half of the animals under Punishment Schedule I required punishment shock higher than avoidance shock to meet their assigned suppression criterion. A comparison of all procedures showed that suppression was greater when punishment shock was initially at high intensity.     

The squeal as an indicator of aggression in mice

Fighting behavior of paired male mice was observed while automatic recording equipment counted the squeals. A strong positive relationship was found between the squeals and other measures of fighting. The results are discussed in terms of the validity of squeals as a measure of aggression and the usefulness of the squeal measure and the advantages it provides, i.e., the possibility of continuous monitoring of fighting behavior, elimination of O effects, less handling of Ss, and use of a “home cage” type of environment.     

Footshock/ECS induced state dependent learning in rats parametric evaluation of ECS intensity and time of testing

Rats were given a footshock followed by ECS of either low or high intensity. Controls received neither footshock nor ECS. Twenty-four hours later all subjects acquired a simple position habit in a water maze. Then, independent subgroups were reversal trained at 24-hr intervals up to 144 hr post-treatment. Compared to controls, rats given footshock, and ECS showed memory for training at the initial test followed by amnesia, memory recovery, and finally amnesia at subsequent tests. The alternating pattern of retention appeared to be a function of ECS intensity. In a second experiment, rats were first maze trained then given footshock and ECS 24 hr later. Like the results of the first experiment, ensuing tests indicated an alternating retention function in experimental animals again influenced by ECS intensity. Several possible explanations of these results were discussed, and it was suggested that the altering retention function observed in the experimental animals resulted from a footshock and ECS induced state dependency effect that subsided and recurred spontaneously up to 144 hr post-treatment.     

Some properties of the visual imagery system investigated through backward spelling

Kosslyn (1973) and Kosslyn, Ball and Reiser (in press) have claimed that a quasi perceptual “scanning” process operates on visual images. Lea (1975) has suggested that this process should be redescribed in terms of iteration through an underlying list structure. It is known that images are subject to capacity limitations. This restriction of processing capacity suggests a model of imagery in which only information displayed in the image may be scanned, while iteration operates between such successive information displays. Three experiments on backward spelling from images support this view. Words of greater length involve more iteration problems. In Experiment I, backward spelling took longer than forward spelling for 8-letter but not for 4-letter words. Experiment II provides evidence for a directional scanning process, using a Brooksian interference technique. Experiment III demonstrates that the structure of the internal representation affects the manner in which it is iterated and that subjects can modify their iteration strategies.     

Accuracy of Predicting a Child's Response to Potential Threat: A Comparison of Children and Their Mothers

Considerable research has indicated that children and their parents often demonstrate marked discrepancies in their reporting of anxiety-related phenomena. In such cases, the question arises as to whether children are capable of accurately reporting on their anxiety. In the present study, 50 children (aged 5 to 14 years) were asked to approach a large, German Shepherd dog. Prior to the task, both the mother and child independently predicted the closest point likely to be reached by the child and the degree of anxiety likely to be experienced. These predictions were then compared with the actual phenomena displayed by the child during the task. On the behavioural measure (closest step reached), both the child and mother demonstrated equivalent predictive accuracy. On the subjective measure (fear ratings) children were considerably more accurate than their mothers. The data were not influenced by gender, age, or clinical status. The results indicate the ability of children to accurately predict their anxious responses, and support the value of incorporating children's self-reports in the assessment of emotional disorders.     

Emotional Reaction to Fragile X Premutation Carrier Tests Among Infertile Women

Female fragile X premutation carriers are at ∼10-fold increased risk of premature ovarian failure (follicle stimulating hormone >40 mIU/mL, amenorrhea, age <40). A milder degree of premature ovarian aging (diminished ovarian reserve, where follicle stimulating hormone levels are typically 10–20 mIU/mL) results in infertility. Approximately 10% of fertility clinic patients have this diagnosis. A cohort of 20 women diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve provided a blood specimen (confidential results), and completed structured questionnaires that assessed emotional reactions to potentially being a premutation carrier (pretest questionnaire, n = 20) and the posttest known carrier status (3 month follow-up questionnaire, n = 18 non-carriers). Responses were measured using 9-point scales, and analyzed with Fisher exact and Wilcoxon exact tests. While most participants did not view fragile X premutations as a serious medical condition, perceptions of seriousness were positively correlated with anger and regret about not knowing sooner of the potential association of these premutations with infertility. Overall, when women (pretest) imagined themselves as carriers, their self-esteem and Health Orientation Scale responses were unchanged with the exception of feeling more afraid (p = 0.004). Despite strongly wishing for negative test results, they were glad to know there might be a medical explanation for their infertility. Financial Support: This work was financially supported by a University of Virginia School of Medicine Research & Development Award.     

Cognitive-behavioural therapy for young children with anxiety disorders: Comparison of a Child + Parent condition versus a Parent Only condition

The present study compared the efficacy of a group-based cognitive-behavioural treatment (GCBT) delivered exclusively to parents of young anxious children (between 4 and 8 years of age) with the same intervention delivered to both children and parents, relative to a Wait-list Control condition. Parents of children in the Parent Only condition (N = 25) received 10 weekly sessions of GCBT whereas children and parents in the Parent + Child condition (N = 24) each received 10 weekly sessions of GCBT. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that both active treatment conditions were superior to the Wait-list condition (N = 11), with 55.3% of children in the Parent Only condition and 54.8% of children in the Parent + Child condition no longer meeting criteria for their principal diagnosis at post-treatment. These treatment gains were maintained in both treatment conditions at six-month and 12-month follow-up assessments. There were no significant differences between the two active conditions on other outcome measures including parental psychopathology and parenting style. However, an unexpected finding was that parenting satisfaction and to some extent parenting competence reduced significantly from pre- to post-treatment regardless of the active treatment condition. The present results suggest that GCBT delivered exclusively to parents of young anxious children may be a viable treatment alternative for improving accessibility to efficacious treatments for children with anxiety disorders and for reducing costs associated with mental health care delivery.     

Conceptual and Statistical Interactions: An Illustration with the AB5C and CWBs

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the criterion validity of conceptual interactions between the Big Five traits of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability to the statistical interactions between these traits. For illustration purposes we focus on linking these interactions to counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs).

Design/Methodology/Approach

Data for Study 1 was obtained from 196 employed students and focuses on the interaction between agreeableness and conscientiousness. Data for Study 2 was obtained from 220 employees and expanded the interaction space examined to include emotional stability.

Findings

All of the circumplex traits representing conceptual interactions were related to CWBs but only the traits most closely associated with conscientiousness showed incremental validity beyond their associated Big Five traits. Dominance analysis highlights increased concurrent validity of the circumplex traits compared to the Big Five statistical interactions in relation to CWBs.

Implications

Understanding the unique circumplex blends of the Big Five traits offers opportunities to enhance the criterion validity of Big Five measures. Results question the similarity between the AB5C circumplex traits and Big Five interactions, with their contributions appearing to be unique but their justification drastically different.

Originality/Value

The validity of the AB5C circumplex traits are relatively unknown. The current results expand this knowledge and directly compare the circumplex traits to interaction terms between agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.