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Cited by 46Memory and Neural MechanismsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

I feel safe when I know: Contingency instruction promotes threat extinction in high intolerance of uncertainty individuals

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Morriss, Jayne, van Reekum, Carien M.·2019·Behaviour Research and Therapy
DOI 10.1016/j.brat.2019.03.004

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Abstract

Extinction-resistant threat is considered to be a central feature of pathological anxiety. Reduced threat extinction is observed in individuals with high intolerance of uncertainty (IU). Here we sought to determine whether contingency instructions could alter the course of threat extinction for individuals high in IU. We tested this hypothesis in two identical experiments (Exp 1 n = 60, Exp 2 n = 82) where we recorded electrodermal activity during threat acquisition with partial reinforcement, and extinction. Participants were split into groups based on extinction instructions (instructed, uninstructed) and IU score (low, high). All groups displayed larger skin conductance responses to learned threat versus safety cues during threat acquisition, indicative of threat conditioning. In both experiments, only the uninstructed high IU groups displayed larger skin conductance responses to the learned threat versus safety cue during threat extinction. These findings suggest that uncertain threat during extinction maintains conditioned responding in individuals high in IU.

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  • Several studies have shown that during threat extinction training, individuals with high IU exhibit greater SCR to cues that no longer signal threat.

    “Several studies, albeit from the same laboratory (34), have shown that during threat extinction training, individuals with high IU exhibit greater skin conductance response (SCR) to cues that no longer signal threat (15,35, 36, 37, 38, 39).”

    From I Doubt It Is Safe: A Meta-analysis of Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Extinction Training (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

    The SCR magnitude results for both experiments report greater responding to the formerly threatening cue during extinction in the uninstructed high-IU group. The General Discussion says the instructed high-IU group instead showed extinction, so the claim omits an important condition: the finding did not apply to all high-IU participants. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Uncertainty over the change in contingency from threat to safety may prolong the learning of new safety associations generally, but particularly for individuals who find uncertainty anxiety provoking.

    “Uncertainty (also referred to as ambiguity) over the change in contingency from threat to safety may prolong the learning of new safety associations generally (13,14), but particularly for individuals who find uncertainty anxiety provoking (15).”

    From I Doubt It Is Safe: A Meta-analysis of Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Extinction Training (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

  • The majority of studies have found specificity of IU over other self-reported anxiety measures in predicting differences in SCR during threat extinction training.

    “The majority of studies have found specificity of IU over other self-reported anxiety measures in predicting 1) differences in SCR to both learned threat and safety during early trials, 2) greater SCR to learned threat cues versus safety cues during late trials (36,37), or 3) greater SCR to learned threat cues across all trials (15,35).”

    From I Doubt It Is Safe: A Meta-analysis of Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Extinction Training (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Higher self-reported IU has been linked to poorer threat extinction training (i.e., the updating of threat to safe associations).

    “Higher self-reported IU has been linked to poorer threat extinction training (i.e., the updating of threat to safe associations), a key process that is targeted in exposure-based therapies.”

    From I Doubt It Is Safe: A Meta-analysis of Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Extinction Training (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

  • The majority of studies examining IU and threat extinction training have used the IU-27 scale.

    “The majority of studies examining IU and threat extinction training have used the IU-27 scale (15,35, 36, 37, 38, 39,51).”

    From I Doubt It Is Safe: A Meta-analysis of Self-reported Intolerance of Uncertainty and Threat Extinction Training (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Morriss, J., & van Reekum, C. M.
Affiliations
University of Reading (GB)
Corresponding author
Morriss, Jayne
ORCID
Venue
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-05
Volume
116
Pages
111-118
ISSN
0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.brat.2019.03.004
OpenAlex
W2921342911
Cited by
46
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3
FWCI
4.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CentAUR (University of Reading) (acceptedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics (CINN)
  • University of Reading, United Kingdom
  • NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (27567)
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 › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
threat extinction, intolerance of uncertainty, fear conditioning, anxiety, uncertainty, skin conductance response, safety cues, partial reinforcement
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Conditioning, Classical, Extinction, Psychological, Fear, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Male, Uncertainty, Young Adult

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