Developments in associative theory: A tribute to the contributions of Robert A. Rescorla.

Colwill, Ruth M.; Delamater, Andrew R.; Lattal, K. Matthew

doi:10.1037/xan0000344

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 195 publications

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“…To truly understand any form of associative learning, it is essential to characterize the conditions necessary for learning, the content acquired during the learning process, and how acquired information is expressed in behavior and cognition (Colwill et al, 2022). 'Safety learning' (SL) refers to a particular associative learning phenomena, wherein an external stimulus comes to predict the absence of otherwise possible threats, transforming the stimulus into a learned safety signal that facilitates the inhibition of prepotent fearful responses upon subsequent encounters (Christianson et al, 2012;Kong et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pavlovian safety learning: an integrative theoretical review

Laing,

Vervliet,

Dunsmoor

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Safety learning involves associating stimuli with the absence of threats, enabling the inhibition of fear and anxiety. Despite growing interest in psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience research, safety learning lacks a formal consensus definition, leading to inconsistent methodologies and varied results. Conceptualized as a form of inhibitory learning (conditioned inhibition), safety learning can be understood through formal learning theories, such as the Rescorla-Wagner and Pearce-Hall models. This review aims to establish a principled conceptualization of ‘Pavlovian safety learning’, identifying cognitive mechanisms that generate it safety, and boundary conditions that constrain it. Based on these observations, we define Pavlovian safety learning as an active associative process, where surprising threat- omission (safety prediction error) acts as a salient reinforcing event. Instead of producing neutral or non-aversive states, the safety learning process endows stimuli with positive association to ‘safety’. The resulting stimulus-safety memories counteract the influence of fear memories, promoting fear regulation, positive affect, and relief. We critically analyze traditional criteria of conditioned inhibition for their relevance to safety and propose areas for future innovation. A principled concept of Pavlovian safety learning may reduce methodological inconsistencies, stimulate translational research, and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of an indispensable psychological construct.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pavlovian safety learning: an integrative theoretical review

Laing,

Vervliet,

Dunsmoor

et al. 2024

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Because PIT separates Pavlovian and instrumental memory processes, it is a powerful tool for investigating how trauma alters specific memory and motivational processes ( Colwill et al, 2022 ). Much of the work on stress and reward (such as the work on cue-induced reinstatement) cannot distinguish between Pavlovian and instrumental processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistent effects of acute trauma on Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer

Derman

Lattal

2022

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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In humans, an acutely traumatic experience can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is often characterized by changes in anxiety and motivation months after trauma. There are few demonstrations of the persistent motivational effects of an acute stressor in rodent approaches to PTSD. In two experiments, we evaluated the persistent effects of a battery of footshocks in one context on appetitive Pavlovian conditioning, instrumental learning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) in a different context. In Experiment 1, a battery of footshocks before appetitive training caused deficits in single-outcome PIT (SO-PIT) in male Long Evans rats. The same battery of footshocks after appetitive training, but before testing had little effect on SO-PIT overall, but there were some deficits in within-stimulus expression of SO-PIT. In Experiment 2, the battery of footshocks had no effect on sensory-specific PIT in male or female rats, but two sex differences emerged: males showed more generalized fear from the aversive to the appetitive context compared to females, and females showed less evidence for sensory-specific PIT compared to males. Males showed robust sensory-specific PIT, with clear extinction and spontaneous recovery of the sensory-specific PIT effect across test sessions. These findings show that (a) an acute trauma can have persistent effects on general motivational processes and (b) in sensory-specific PIT, females may show transfer through generalized motivational processes, whereas males may rely on specific features of the cues and outcomes to augment instrumental responding selectively. We discuss implications for current approaches to stress and motivation in preclinical approaches to PTSD.

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Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Is More than You Think It Is

McDannald

2023

J. Neurosci.

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A common neuroscience application of Pavlovian fear conditioning is to manipulate neuron-type activity, pair a cue with foot shock, then measure cue-elicited freezing in a novel context. If the manipulation reduces freezing, the neuron type is implicated in Pavlovian fear conditioning. This application reduces Pavlovian fear conditioning to a single concept. In this Viewpoint, I describe experiments supporting the view that Pavlovian fear conditioning refers to three distinct concepts: procedure, process, and behavior. An experimenter controls procedure, observes behavior, but infers process. Distinguishing these concepts is essential because: (1) a shock-paired cue can engage numerous processes and behaviors; (2) experimenter decisions about procedure influence the processes engaged and behaviors elicited; and (3) many processes are latent, imbuing the cue with properties that only manifest outside of the original conditioning setting. This means we could understand the complete neural basis of freezing, yet know little about the neural basis of fear. Neuroscientists can choose to use a variety of procedures to study a diversity of processes and behaviors. Manipulating neuron-type activity in multiple procedures can reveal specific, general, or complex neuron-type contributions to cue-elicited processes and behaviors. The results will be a broader and more detailed neural basis of fear with greater relevance to the spectrum of symptoms defining anxiety and stressor-related disorders.

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Developments in associative theory: A tribute to the contributions of Robert A. Rescorla.

Cited by 4 publications

References 195 publications

Pavlovian safety learning: an integrative theoretical review

Pavlovian safety learning: an integrative theoretical review

Persistent effects of acute trauma on Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer

Pavlovian Fear Conditioning Is More than You Think It Is

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