Temporal Dynamics in Human Fear Conditioning
Description
The temporal dynamics of fear acquisition and extinction are underresearched, despite their key relevance to learning processes. In most studies, fear responses are averaged across subsets of trials (e.g., early or late extinction trials) or entire experimental phases to simplify statistical analyses. Although this practice helps with model convergence and requires fewer participants, it implies the assumption of equal strength of stimulus association across aggregated trials. This, however, obscures the dynamics inherent to learning processes and limits theoretical and explanatory insight into conditioning mechanisms.
This project aims to address this gap by leveraging the fearbase’s pool of trial-level, individual participant data. The primary analytical approach will employ mixed-effects models to assess how defensive responses manifest and extinct over time, across individuals, and across studies. Additionally, the project will investigate the feasibility of cognitive modeling approaches given the constraints that the precise trial sequence of each participant and the exact reinforcement protocol are typically not included in publicly shared data in the field, and hence are not yet included in the fearbase.
The project aims to utilize mixed models and cognitively motivated modeling strategies to understand the temporal dynamics of fear learning. Overall, the project’s goals are to clarify the information loss associated with temporal averaging, demonstrate the value of open, individual participant data for fear conditioning research, and provide methodological guidance for future studies seeking to model learning dynamics under imperfect data conditions.
Researchers
Fritz Becker*, Bielefeld University
Tina Lonsdorf, Bielefeld University
Maria Bruntsch, Bielefeld University
Annalena Witte, Bielefeld University
Mana Ehlers, Bielefeld University
Datasets
ID 98
Pittig
2021
160
habituation, acquisition, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
75%
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 156
Chalkia
2019
15
acquisition, intervention, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ)
ID 163
Chalkia
2020
62
acquisition, other, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US Intensity Rating
37.5%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (FPQ-SF)
ID 168
Chalkia
2019
20
habituation, acquisition, habituation, other, habituation, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating, valence rating, arousal rating
75%
Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 172
Chalkia
2020
62
acquisition, intervention, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US Intensity Rating
37.5%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (FPQ-SF)
ID 175
Renée M. Visser
2015
41
acquisition, extinction
pupil size, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
46%, 46%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 176
Hu
2019
22
acquisition, other, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating
43%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Symptoms Checklist 90 (SCL-90)
ID 177
Hu
2019
21
acquisition, other, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating
43%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Symptoms Checklist 90 (SCL-90)
ID 178
Hu
2019
18
acquisition, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating
43%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Symptoms Checklist 90 (SCL-90)
ID 179
Homan
2017
40
intervention, acquisition, extinction, re-extinction
skin conductance response
43%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 180
Chalkia
2019
15
acquisition, other, intervention, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ)
ID 181
Chalkia
2019
15
acquisition, other, intervention, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ)
ID 182
Faul
2020
40
habituation, acquisition, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating
50%, 50%
ID 183
Golkar
2015
55
acquisition
skin conductance response
100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 187
Lonsdorf
2019
120
habituation, acquisition, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, fear rating
100%
ID 188
Klingelhöfer-Jens
2022
64
habituation, acquisition, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, fear potentiated startle (emg), fear rating
100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)
ID 196
Chalkia
2019
15
acquisition, other, intervention, intervention, extinction, reinstatement test
fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ)
ID 203
Chalkia
2019
20
habituation, acquisition, habituation, other, intervention, habituation, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, fear potentiated startle (emg), US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating, valence rating, arousal rating
75%
Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 205
Sperl
2020
21
habituation, acquisition, extinction
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, valence rating, arousal rating
46.67%, 46.67%, 46.67%
ID 210
Gerlicher
2022
50
acquisition, extinction, intervention, re-extinction
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
50%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)
ID 212
Mertens
2019
31
acquisition, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%, 100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 214
Mertens
2019
29
acquisition, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%, 100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 215
Mertens
2019
31
acquisition, extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%, 100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 216
Mertens
2019
28
acquisition, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response, US expectancy rating, US Intensity Rating
100%, 100%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 217
Morriss
2020
76
acquisition, extinction, re-extinction
skin conductance response, pupil size, US expectancy rating
50%
Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Stait-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)
ID 218
de Haan
2018
26
habituation, acquisition
pupil size, US expectancy rating
46%, 46%
Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T)
ID 220
De Voogd
2020
102
acquisition, extinction, re-extinction, reinstatement test
skin conductance response
37.5%
Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)
ID 221
Pan
2021
40
acquisition, extinction, intervention, re-extinction
skin conductance response, valence rating, arousal rating
62.5%, 62.5%
ID 222
Morriss
2020
68
acquisition, extinction, re-extinction
skin conductance response, pupil size, US expectancy rating
50%
Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Stait-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)
ID 225
Mertens
2020
107
habituation, acquisition, reversal
skin conductance response, fear potentiated startle (emg), US Intensity Rating, contingency awareness
%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS)
ID 226
Gerlicher
2019
80
habituation, acquisition, extinction, intervention, re-extinction
skin conductance response, US Intensity Rating
80%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)
ID 227
Gerlicher
2019
32
habituation, acquisition, extinction, intervention, re-extinction
skin conductance response, US Intensity Rating
80%
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI)
ID 228
Wake
2020
95
acquisition, extinction
skin conductance response, pupil size, US expectancy rating
50%
Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS), Stait-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)