Tackling Fearful Avoidance using Counter-Conditioning: A Causal Test for the Role of Appetitive Motivation in Fearful Avoidance

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2018-07-01

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en

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Abstract

Anxiety disorders are prevalent in the population and are costly for society, while current treatment is not optimal yet. A central symptom of anxiety is avoidance behaviour, with excessive avoidance being related to poor clinical outcomes. Appetitive motivation could play a role in decreasing avoidance behaviour by increasing positive valuation of the feared object. However, studies that causally test this are lacking. This study used an approach-avoidance conflict paradigm with a training based on counterconditioning in between tests to study the effects of appetitive motivation on avoidance and negative valuation. One stimulus was followed by eating a cookie (CS+), and one was followed by nothing (CS-). To investigate the mechanisms driving behaviour, the Post-Auricular Reflex was measured as reflective of ‘liking’ and the Eye-blink startle as a defensive measure. Results showed that the CC-training was effective in reducing the negative valuation and decreasing avoidance behaviour for the CS+. There was no difference in the PAR and Eye-blink magnitudes of the CS-Types after the training. This study showed the importance of appetitive motivation for avoidance behaviour, indicating that treatment could benefit from focussing on increasing appetitive motivation to overcome avoidance.

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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen