Both exposure to a novel context and associative learning induce an upregulation of AKAP150 protein in mouse hippocampus

A-kinase anchoring protein 150 (AKAP150) is a multi-enzyme signaling complex that coordinates the action of PKA, PKC, and PP2B at neuronal membranes and synapses. We measured levels of AKAP150 protein in the hippocampus 6h after training mice in a contextual fear conditioning paradigm. In contextual fear conditioning mice learn to associate a context with a footshock presentation. Mice were divided in four experimental groups with different training protocols: naive, no footshock exposure, immediate footshock exposure, and footshock 3min after exposure to the context. We found that AKAP150 protein levels were increased upon exposing mice to the novel context independent of the training protocol. However, when the animals were habituated to the experimental context, only mice that learned to associate the context with the footshock showed an upregulation of AKAP150. We suggest that upregulated levels of AKAP150 contribute to processing the exposure to a novel context and associative learning.     

Increased use of safety-seeking behaviors in chronic back pain patients with high health anxiety

Many patients with chronic pain also exhibit elevated levels of health anxiety. This study examined the effect of health anxiety on the use of safety-seeking behaviors (SSBs) in pain-provoking situations. Participants were 20 chronic back pain patients with high health anxiety (Group H), 20 with low health anxiety (Group L) and 20 pain-free controls (Group C). Two physical tasks were video recorded, and compared both for overt pain behavior (identified by blind observers following a standardized procedure) and for the occurrence of SSB (identified by showing the participants video playback and asking them to specify motivation for all actions/behaviors displayed during the tasks). While there were no differences in the display of overt pain behaviors, Group H deployed a greater number of SSBs than Groups L and C. This finding held true for both tasks and remained significant when concurrent pain and mood ratings were statistically controlled for. SSB was correlated with catastrophizing thoughts but not pain intensity; pain intensity was correlated with overt pain behavior but not catastrophizing. Taken together, these findings suggest that SSB is distinct from overt pain behavior and may be a defining characteristic of chronic pain patients reporting high levels of health anxiety.     

How time flies: a study of novice skydivers

Although time distortion is commonly reported during a traumatic experience, there is little research addressing the phenomenon. This study investigated the role of affect in time perception in a very stressful experience by indexing novice tandem skydivers' (N=76) levels of fear and excitement before the skydive and soon after landing. Estimations of how long skydivers thought their experience lasted were obtained after landing. Whereas increased fear was associated with the perception of time passing slowly, increased excitement was associated with the perception of time passing quickly. These data support models of time perception based on avoidance and approach motivations influencing time distortion.     

Occasional reinforced responses during extinction can slow the rate of reacquisition of an operant response

Three experiments with rats examined reacquisition of an operant response after either extinction or a response-elimination procedure that included occasional reinforced responses during extinction. In each experiment, reacquisition was slower when response elimination had included occasional reinforced responses, although the effect was especially evident when responding was examined immediately following each response-reinforcer pairing during reacquisition (Experiments 2 and 3). An extinction procedure with added noncontingent reinforcers also slowed reacquisition (Experiment 3). The results are consistent with research in classical conditioning (Bouton, M. E., Woods, A. M., & Pineño, O. (2004). Occasional reinforced trials during extinction can slow the rate of rapid reacquisition. Learning & Motivation, 35, 371-390) and suggest that rapid reacquisition after extinction is analogous to a renewal effect that occurs when reinforced responses signal a return to the conditioning context. Clinical implications are also discussed.     

Transformation of the discriminative and eliciting functions of generalized relational stimuli

In three experiments, match-to-sample procedures were used with undergraduates to establish arbitrary relational functions for three abstract visual stimuli. In the presence of samples A, B, and C, participants were trained to select the smallest, middle, and largest member, respectively, of a series of three-comparison arrays. In Experiment 1, the B (choose middle) stimulus was then used to train a steady rate of keyboard pressing before the A (choose smallest) and the C (choose largest) stimuli were presented. Participants pressed slower to A and faster to C than to B. Then B was paired with mild shock in a Pavlovian procedure with skin conductance change as the dependent variable. When presented with A and C, 6 of 8 experimental participants showed smaller skin conductance changes to A and larger skin conductance changes to C than to B. In Experiment 2, A was then used as a sample in a match-to-sample procedure to establish an arbitrary size ranking among four same-sized colored circle comparisons. One of the middle circles was then used to establish a steady rate of pressing before the other circles were presented. Five of 6 participants responded slower to the "smaller" circle and faster to the "larger" circle than they did to the "middle" circle. In Experiment 3, A, B, and C were then presented on a series of test trials requiring participants to pick the comparison that was less than, greater than, or equal to the sample. Novel stimuli were included on some trials. Results indicated that the relational training procedures produced derived relations among the stimuli used in training and that these allowed correct inferences of relative size ranking among novel stimuli.     

Emotional responses in spider fear are closely related to picture awareness

Theories of emotion propose that responses to emotional pictures can occur independently of whether or not people are aware of the picture content. Because evidence from dissociation paradigms is inconclusive, we manipulated picture awareness gradually and studied whether emotional responses varied with degree of awareness. Spider fearful and non-fearful participants viewed pictures of spiders and flowers at four levels of backward masking while electrodermal activity and heart rate were measured continuously. Recognition ratings confirmed that participants’ picture awareness decreased with masking. Critically, effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate also decreased with masking. These findings suggest that effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate are closely related to picture awareness.     

Characterizing Carver and White’s BIS/BAS subscales using the Five Factor Model of personality

This study examined BIS/BAS scales (Carver & White, 1994) assessment of Gray’s revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory in the light of the Five-Factor Model of personality—assessed via NEO-PI-R domains and facets—in a mixed-gender sample of 329 undergraduates. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a 5-factor solution structure of the BIS/BAS scales, with BIS-scale divided into BIS-Anxiety and BIS-Fear factors, besides the original three BAS factors. BIS-Anxiety was found to represent Gray’s anxiety (high Neuroticism and low Extraversion), being also distinguished from BIS-Fear by high Agreeableness, as expected. Interestingly, Conscientiousness showed divergent relationships to BIS-Anxiety (+) and BIS-Fear (−) as well. It is noteworthy that Agreeableness and Conscientiousness also marked distinct facets of BAS-related activity: distinctions in terms of low vs. high Conscientiousness pointed to differential measure of sensation-seeking and impulsiveness (BAS-Fun Seeking) vs. reward-orientation in goal-directed behavior (BAS-Reward Responsiveness, BAS-Drive), with low Agreeableness additionally emphasizing a competitive interpersonal style for approaching goals (BAS-Drive). Our findings suggest that BAS total scores could be obscuring differential associations at the subscales level, and encourage further research on personality traits underlying each component of BAS activation.     

Safety perceptions and reported behavior related to cycling in mixed traffic: A comparison between Brisbane and Copenhagen

This study explores the differences in safety perceptions and reported behavior of cyclists in mixed traffic between an emerging cycling city (Brisbane, Australia) and an established cycling city (Copenhagen, Denmark). Perceptions and reported behavior were retrieved from a custom-designed web-based survey administered among cyclists in the two cities. Elicited items concerned perceived risk of infrastructure layouts, fear of traffic, cycling while distracted, use of safety gear, cycling avoidance due to feeling unsafe, and avoidance to cycle in mixed traffic conditions. The data were analyzed with structural equation models. Results show that, in comparison with cyclists in Copenhagen, cyclists in Brisbane perceive mixed traffic infrastructure layouts as less safe, feel more fear of traffic, and are more likely to adopt cycling avoidance as a coping strategy. Results also show that cyclists in Copenhagen tend to use less helmets and to cycle more while being distracted.     

Appearance investment mediates the association between fear of negative evaluation and dietary restraint

This study investigated whether appearance investment explains the association between fear of negative evaluation and dietary restraint. Data were collected from 305 undergraduate female participants in an online survey. Mediation analyses were conducted using Preacher and Hayes (2008) Indirect Mediation macro. Results showed that both components of appearance investment that is, holding appearance as central to self-definition and the tendency to engage in appearance management behaviours, mediate the association between fear of negative evaluation and dietary restraint. The Baron and Kenny (1986) method further showed that holding appearance as central to self-definition fully mediates this association but that engagement in appearance management behaviours only partially mediates it. These results suggest that appearance investment could prompt women to diet to try to lose weight to fend off feared negative evaluation from others.