The DOI matches its Crossref record; 6 of the 6 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Safety behaviours preserve threat beliefs: Protection from extinction of human fear conditioning by an avoidance response
Abstract
A laboratory autonomic conditioning procedure was used to establish fear conditioning in human participants by pairing neutral stimuli with electric shock. Participants were also trained to make a button-press response to avoid shock. A target fear stimulus was then extinguished by presenting it without shock. The experimental group was given the opportunity to make the avoidance response during extinction whereas the control group was not. When the fear stimulus was tested without the response available, the control group showed normal extinction of both shock expectancy ratings and skin conductance responses, but the experimental group showed "protection from extinction": they continued to give high expectancy ratings and strong skin conductance responses. We interpret this effect as analogous to the role of within-situation safety behaviours in preserving threat beliefs during exposure therapy for anxiety disorders. The results support a cognitive account of learning and anxiety. The procedure provides a potential laboratory model for further examination of the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying anxiety and its reduction.
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“Other experiments in humans, as well as clinical studies, have found that avoidance or safety behavior during extinction or exposure therapy can hinder the reduction of threat responses or fear (Lovibond et al., 2009; Blakey and Abramowitz, 2016; Volders et al., 2012).”
From Active avoidance: Neural mechanisms and attenuation of pavlovian conditioned responding (2017) · cites this paper as Lovibond et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“A small experimental literature on avoidance in humans and a large clinical literature have yielded conflicting findings regarding whether avoidance attenuates threat responses or patients' fear.”
From Active avoidance: Neural mechanisms and attenuation of pavlovian conditioned responding (2017) · cites this paper as Lovibond et al., 2009
Citations
Cites
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Protection from extinction in human fear conditioning
Lovibond, P. F., Davis, N. R., & O'Flaherty, A. S. (2000) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/s0005-7967(99)00121-7 · Cited by 189
Self-citationFear and Avoidance: An Integrated Expectancy Model.
Lovibond, P. (2007) · Fear and learning: From basic processes to clinical implications. · doi:10.1037/11474-006 · Cited by 147
Self-citationGuastella, A. J., Lovibond, P. F., Dadds, M. R., Mitchell, P., & Richardson, R. (2007) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.07.005 · Cited by 106
Self-citation
Research works printed but not linked: 11
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611419671 · Cited by 3,024
Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective
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Neurocognitive endophenotypes of impulsivity and compulsivity: Towards dimensional psychiatry
Robbins, T. W., Gillan, C. M., Smith, D. G., de Wit, S., & Ersche, K. D. (2012) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2011.11.009 · Cited by 1,003
Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: A Review of Meta-Analytic Findings
Olatunji, B. O., Cisler, J. M., & Deacon, B. J. (2010) · Psychiatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.002 · Cited by 483
“anxiety.(7) This combined body of research serves as the foundation for the development of empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorder symptoms.”
BackgroundGoal-directed learning and obsessive-compulsive disorder
Gillan, C. M., & Robbins, T. W. (2014) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0475 · Cited by 348
“when a state of safety is also followed by no response [75].”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Lovibond, P. F., Mitchell, C. J., Minard, E., Brady, A., & Menzies, R. G.
- Affiliations
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Lovibond, Peter F.
- Venue
- Behaviour Research and Therapy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-08
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 716-720
- ISSN
- 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2086885179
- Cited by
- 275
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 3.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- safety behavior, threat beliefs, fear conditioning, extinction, avoidance response, skin conductance response, exposure therapy, anxiety disorders, autonomic conditioning
- MeSH terms
- Avoidance Learning, Conditioning, Classical, Culture, Electric Stimulation, Extinction, Psychological, Fear, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Male, Safety
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