@article{AndreattaMuehlbergerGlotzbachSchoonetal.2013,
  author    = {Andreatta, Marta and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas and Glotzbach-Schoon, Evelyn and Pauli, Paul},
  title     = {Pain predictability reverses valence ratings of a relief-associated stimulus},
  series = {Front in Systems Neuroscience},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {Front in Systems Neuroscience},
  number    = {53},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnsys.2013.00053},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-129275},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Relief from pain is positively valenced and entails reward-like properties. Notably, stimuli that became associated with pain relief elicit reward-like implicit responses too, but are explicitly evaluated by humans as aversive. Since the unpredictability of pain makes pain more aversive, this study examined the hypotheses that the predictability of pain also modulates the valence of relief-associated stimuli. In two studies, we presented one conditioned stimulus \((_{FORWARD}CS+)\) before a painful unconditioned stimulus (US), another stimulus \((_{BACKWARD}CS+)\) after the painful US, and a third stimulus (CS-) was never associated with the US. In Study 1, \(_{FORWARD}CS+\) predicted half of the USs while the other half was delivered unwarned and followed by \(_{BACKWARD}CS+\). In Study 2, all USs were predicted by \(_{FORWARD}CS+\) and followed by \(_{BACKWARD}CS+\). In Study 1 both \(_{FORWARD}CS+\) and \(_{BACKWARD}CS+\) were rated as negatively valenced and high arousing after conditioning, while \(_{BACKWARD}CS+\) in Study 2 acquired positive valence and low arousal. Startle amplitude was significantly attenuated to \(_{BACKWARD}CS+\) compared to \(_{FORWARD}CS+\) in Study 2, but did not differ among CSs in Study 1. In summary, predictability of aversive events reverses the explicit valence of a relief-associated stimulus.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{EwaldGlotzbachSchoonGerdesetal.2014,
  author    = {Ewald, Heike and Glotzbach-Schoon, Evelyn and Gerdes, Antje B. M. and Andreatta, Marta and M{\"u}ller, Mathias and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas and Pauli, Paul},
  title     = {Delay and trace fear conditioning in a complex virtual learning environment - neural substrates of extinction},
  series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience},
  number    = {323},
  issn      = {1662-5161},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnhum.2014.00323},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-116230},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Extinction is an important mechanism to inhibit initially acquired fear responses. There is growing evidence that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) inhibits the amygdala and therefore plays an important role in the extinction of delay fear conditioning. To our knowledge, there is no evidence on the role of the prefrontal cortex in the extinction of trace conditioning up to now. Thus, we compared brain structures involved in the extinction of human delay and trace fear conditioning in a between-subjects-design in an fMRI study. Participants were passively guided through a virtual environment during learning and extinction of conditioned fear. Two different lights served as conditioned stimuli (CS); as unconditioned stimulus (US) a mildly painful electric stimulus was delivered. In the delay conditioning group (DCG) the US was administered with offset of one light (CS+), whereas in the trace conditioning group (TCG) the US was presented 4s after CS+ offset. Both groups showed insular and striatal activation during early extinction, but differed in their prefrontal activation. The vmPFC was mainly activated in the DCG, whereas the TCG showed activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during extinction. These results point to different extinction processes in delay and trace conditioning. VmPFC activation during extinction of delay conditioning might reflect the inhibition of the fear response. In contrast, dlPFC activation during extinction of trace conditioning may reflect modulation of working memory processes which are involved in bridging the trace interval and hold information in short term memory.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GuhnDreslerAndreattaetal.2014,
  author    = {Guhn, Anne and Dresler, Thomas and Andreatta, Marta and M{\"u}ller, Laura D. and Hahn, Tim and Tupak, Sara V. and Polak, Thomas and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Herrmann, Martin J.},
  title     = {Medial prefrontal cortex stimulation modulates the processing of conditioned fear},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00044},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-111309},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {The extinction of conditioned fear depends on an efficient interplay between the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In rats, high-frequency electrical mPFC stimulation has been shown to improve extinction by means of a reduction of amygdala activity. However, so far it is unclear whether stimulation of homologues regions in humans might have similar beneficial effects. Healthy volunteers received one session of either active or sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) covering the mPFC while undergoing a 2-day fear conditioning and extinction paradigm. Repetitive TMS was applied offline after fear acquisition in which one of two faces (CS+ but not CS-) was associated with an aversive scream (UCS). Immediate extinction learning (day 1) and extinction recall (day 2) were conducted without UCS delivery. Conditioned responses (CR) were assessed in a multimodal approach using fear-potentiated startle (FPS), skin conductance responses (SCR), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and self-report scales. Consistent with the hypothesis of a modulated processing of conditioned fear after high-frequency rTMS, the active group showed a reduced CS+/CS- discrimination during extinction learning as evident in FPS as well as in SCR and arousal ratings. FPS responses to CS+ further showed a linear decrement throughout both extinction sessions. This study describes the first experimental approach of influencing conditioned fear by using rTMS and can thus be a basis for future studies investigating a complementation of mPFC stimulation to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{PauliGlotzbachSchoonAndreattaetal.2013,
  author    = {Pauli, Paul and Glotzbach-Schoon, Evelyn and Andreatta, Marta and Reif, Andreas and Ewald, Heike and Tr{\"o}ger, Christian and Baumann, Christian and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and M{\"u}hlberger, Andreas},
  title     = {Contextual fear conditioning in virtual reality is affected by 5HTTLPR and NPSR1 polymorphisms: effects on fear-potentiated startle},
  series = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00031},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-96516},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {The serotonin (5-HT) and neuropeptide S (NPS) systems are discussed as important genetic modulators of fear and sustained anxiety contributing to the etiology of anxiety disorders. Sustained anxiety is a crucial characteristic of most anxiety disorders which likely develops through contextual fear conditioning. This study investigated if and how genetic alterations of the 5-HT and the NPS systems as well as their interaction modulate contextual fear conditioning; specifically, function polymorphic variants in the genes coding for the 5-HT transporter (5HTT) and the NPS receptor (NPSR1) were studied. A large group of healthy volunteers was therefore stratified for 5HTTLPR (S+ vs. LL carriers) and NPSR1 rs324981 (T+ vs. AA carriers) polymorphisms resulting in four genotype groups (S+/T+, S+/AA, LL/T+, LL/AA) of 20 participants each. All participants underwent contextual fear conditioning and extinction using a virtual reality (VR) paradigm. During acquisition, one virtual office room (anxiety context, CXT+) was paired with an unpredictable electric stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US), whereas another virtual office room was not paired with any US (safety context, CXT-). During extinction no US was administered. Anxiety responses were quantified by fear-potentiated startle and ratings. Most importantly, we found a gene × gene interaction on fear-potentiated startle. Only carriers of both risk alleles (S+/T+) exhibited higher startle responses in CXT+ compared to CXT-. In contrast, anxiety ratings were only influenced by the NPSR1 polymorphism with AA carriers showing higher anxiety ratings in CXT+ as compared to CXT-. Our results speak in favor of a two level account of fear conditioning with diverging effects on implicit vs. explicit fear responses. Enhanced contextual fear conditioning as reflected in potentiated startle responses may be an endophenotype for anxiety disorders.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Andreatta2010,
  author    = {Andreatta, Marta},
  title     = {Emotional reactions after event learning : a Rift between Implicit and Explicit Conditioned Valence in Humans Pain Relief Lerning},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-55715},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Organismen vermeiden Gefahren und streben nach Belohnungen, um zu {\"u}berleben. Klassische Konditionierung ist ein einfaches Model, das erkl{\"a}rt, wie Tiere und Menschen Ereignisse in Verbindung bringen. Dieses Lernen erm{\"o}glicht Lebewesen Gefahr oder Belohnung direkt vorherzusehen. Normalerweise besteht das Konditionierungsparadigma aus der Pr{\"a}sentation eines neutralen Stimulus zusammen mit einem biologisch bedeutsamen Event (der unkonditionierte Stimulus - US). Aufgrund dieser Assoziation erwirbt der neutrale Stimulus affektive Eigenschaften und wird dann konditionierter Stimulus (CS+) genannt. Wenn der CS+ mit Schmerz w{\"a}hrend der Trainingsphase assoziiert wird, leitet er eine defensive Reaktion, wie z.B. Vermeidung ein. Wenn der CS+ mit einer Belohnung assoziiert wird, leitet er eine appetitive Reaktion, wie z.B. Ann{\"a}herungsreaktionen ein. Interessanterweise haben Tierstudien gezeigt, dass ein konditionierter Stimulus vermieden wurde, wenn er einem aversiven US in der Trainingsphase vorausgegangen war (CS+US; Vorw{\"a}rtskonditionierung). Das deutet darauf hin, dass der CS+ aversive Eigenschaften erlangt hat. Jedoch f{\"u}hrte ein konditionierter Stimulus zu einer Ann{\"a}herung, wenn er in der Trainingsphase auf einen aversiven US folgt (US CS+; R{\"u}ckw{\"a}rtskonditionierung). Das deutet darauf hin, dass der CS+ appetitive Eigenschaften erlangt hat. Kann das Event Timing sowohl aversive als auch appetitive konditionierten Reaktionen auch bei Menschen ausl{\"o}sen, die zu Kognitionen bez{\"u}glich der Assoziationen f{\"a}hig sind? Um diese Fragestellung zu beantworten, wurden vier Studien durchgef{\"u}hrt. Die Studien hatten den gleichen Ablauf, variiert wurde nur die Zeit zwischen CS+ und US (das Interstimulusintervall - ISI - ist als das Zeitintervall zwischen dem Onset des CS+ und dem Onset des US definiert). W{\"a}hrend der Akquisitionsphase (Konditionierung) wurden, zwei einfache geometrische Figuren als konditionierte Stimuli dargeboten. Eine geometrische Figur (der CS+) war immer mit einem leichten schmerzhaften elektrischen Reiz (der aversive US) assoziiert; die andere Figur (der CS-) war nie mit dem elektrischen Reiz assoziiert. In einem between-subjects Design wurde entweder eine Vorw{\"a}rtskonditionierung oder eine R{\"u}ckw{\"a}rtskonditionierung durchgef{\"u}hrt. W{\"a}hrend der Testsphase (Extinktion) wurden CS+ und CS- pr{\"a}sentiert sowie zus{\"a}tzlich eine neue neutrale geometrische Figur pr{\"a}sentiert, die als Kontrollstimulus fungierte; der US wurde in dieser Phase nie dargeboten. Vor und nach der Konditionierung wurden die Probanden sowohl bez{\"u}glich der Valenz (bzw. Unangenehmheit und Angenehmheit) als auch der Erregung (bzw. Ruhe und Aufregung) hinsichtlich der geometrischen Figuren befragt. In der ersten Studie wurde der Schreckreflex (Startle Reflex) als Maß f{\"u}r die implizite Valenz der Stimuli gemessen. Der Schreckreflex ist eine defensive Urreaktion, die aus einem Muskelzucken des Gesichts und des K{\"o}rpers besteht. Dieser Reflex ist durch pl{\"o}tzliche und intensive visuelle, taktile oder akustische Reize evoziert. Einerseits war die Amplitude des Startles bei der Anwesenheit des vorw{\"a}rts CS+ potenziert und das deutet daraufhin, dass der CS+ eine implizite negative Valenz nach der Vorw{\"a}rtskonditionierung erworben hat. Anderseits war die Amplitude des Startles bei der Anwesenheit des r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+ abgeschw{\"a}cht, was darauf hin deutet, dass der CS+ nach der R{\"u}ckw{\"a}rtskonditionierung eine implizite positive Valenz erworben hat. In der zweiten Studie wurde die oxygenierte Bloodsresponse (BOLD) mit funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRI) erhoben, um neuronale Korrelate des Event-Timings zu erfassen. Eine st{\"a}rkere Aktivierung wurde in der Amygdala in Erwiderung auf den vorw{\"a}rts CS+ und im Striatum in Erwiderung auf den r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+ gefunden. Zum Einen entspricht dies einer Aktivierung des Defensive Motivational Systems, da die Amygdala eine wichtige Rolle beim Angstexpression und Angstakquisition hat. Deshalb wurde der vorw{\"a}rts CS+ als aversiv betrachtet. Zum Anderen entspricht dies einer Aktivierung des Appetitive Motivational System, da das Striatum eine wichtige Rolle bei Belohnung hat. Deshalb wurde der r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+ als appetitiv betrachtet. In der dritten Studie wurden Aufmerksamkeitsprozesse beim Event-Timing n{\"a}her beleuchtet, indem steady-state visuelle evozierte Potentiale (ssVEP) gemessen wurden. Sowohl der vorw{\"a}rts CS+ als auch der r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+ zog Aufmerksamkeit auf sich. Dennoch war die Amplitude der ssVEP großer w{\"a}hrend der letzen Sekunden des vorw{\"a}rts CS+, d.h. direkt vor dem aversiven US. Die Amplitude der ssVEP war aber gr{\"o}ßer w{\"a}hrend der ersten Sekunden des r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+, d.h. kurz nach dem aversiven US. Vermutlich wird die Aufmerksamkeit auf den hinsichtlich des aversiven US informativsten Teil des CS+. Alle Probanden der drei Studien haben den vorw{\"a}rts CS+ und den r{\"u}ckw{\"a}rts CS+ negativer und erregender als den Kontrollstimulus beurteilt. Daher werden die expliziten Ratings vom Event-Timing nicht beeinflusst. Bemerkenswert ist die Dissoziation zwischen den subjektiven Ratings und den physiologischen Reaktionen. Nach der Dual-Prozess Theorie werden die Verhaltensreaktionen des Menschen von zwei Systemen determiniert: einem impulsiv impliziten System, das auf assoziativen Prinzipien beruht, und einem reflektiv expliziten System, das auf der Kenntnis {\"u}ber Fakten und Werte basiert. Wichtig ist, dass die zwei Systeme auf synergetische oder antagonistische Weise agieren k{\"o}nnen. Folglich k{\"o}nnte es sein, dass das impulsive und das reflektive System nach der R{\"u}ckw{\"a}rtskonditionierung antagonistisch arbeiten. Zusammen deuten die vorliegenden Studien daraufhin, dass Event-Timing eine Bestrafung in eine Belohnung umwandeln kann, aber die Probanden erleben den Stimulus assoziiert mit einem aversiven Event als negativ. Diese Dissoziation k{\"o}nnte zum Verst{\"a}ndnis der psychiatrischen St{\"o}rungen wie z.B. Angstst{\"o}rungen oder Drogenabh{\"a}ngigkeit beitragen.},
  subject      = {Gef{\"u}hl},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WuWinklerWieseretal.2015,
  author    = {Wu, Lingdan and Winkler, Markus H. and Wieser, Matthias J. and Andreatta, Marta and Li, Yonghui and Pauli, Paul},
  title     = {Emotion regulation in heavy smokers: experiential, expressive and physiological consequences of cognitive reappraisal},
  series = {Frontiers in Psychology},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Psychology},
  number    = {1555},
  doi       = {10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01555},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-145225},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Emotion regulation dysfunctions are assumed to contribute to the development of tobacco addiction and relapses among smokers attempting to quit. To further examine this hypothesis, the present study compared heavy smokers with non-smokers (NS) in a reappraisal task. Specifically, we investigated whether non-deprived smokers (NDS) and deprived smokers (DS) differ from non-smokers in cognitive emotion regulation and whether there is an association between the outcome of emotion regulation and the cigarette craving. Sixty-five participants (23 non-smokers, 22 NDS, and 20 DS) were instructed to down-regulate emotions by reappraising negative or positive pictorial scenarios. Self-ratings of valence, arousal, and cigarette craving as well as facial electromyography and electroencephalograph activities were measured. Ratings, facial electromyography, and electroencephalograph data indicated that both NDS and DS performed comparably to nonsmokers in regulating emotional responses via reappraisal, irrespective of the valence of pictorial stimuli. Interestingly, changes in cigarette craving were positively associated with regulation of emotional arousal irrespective of emotional valence. These results suggest that heavy smokers are capable to regulate emotion via deliberate reappraisal and smokers' cigarette craving is associated with emotional arousal rather than emotional valence. This study provides preliminary support for the therapeutic use of reappraisal to replace maladaptive emotion-regulation strategies in nicotine addicts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{StegmannAndreattaWieser2023,
  author    = {Stegmann, Yannik and Andreatta, Marta and Wieser, Matthias J.},
  title     = {The effect of inherently threatening contexts on visuocortical engagement to conditioned threat},
  series = {Psychophysiology},
  volume    = {60},
  journal   = {Psychophysiology},
  number    = {4},
  doi       = {10.1111/psyp.14208},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312465},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Fear and anxiety are crucial for adaptive responding in life-threatening situations. Whereas fear is a phasic response to an acute threat accompanied by selective attention, anxiety is characterized by a sustained feeling of apprehension and hypervigilance during situations of potential threat. In the current literature, fear and anxiety are usually considered mutually exclusive, with partially separated neural underpinnings. However, there is accumulating evidence that challenges this distinction between fear and anxiety, and simultaneous activation of fear and anxiety networks has been reported. Therefore, the current study experimentally tested potential interactions between fear and anxiety. Fifty-two healthy participants completed a differential fear conditioning paradigm followed by a test phase in which the conditioned stimuli were presented in front of threatening or neutral contextual images. To capture defense system activation, we recorded subjective (threat, US-expectancy), physiological (skin conductance, heart rate) and visuocortical (steady-state visual evoked potentials) responses to the conditioned stimuli as a function of contextual threat. Results demonstrated successful fear conditioning in all measures. In addition, threat and US-expectancy ratings, cardiac deceleration, and visuocortical activity were enhanced for fear cues presented in threatening compared with neutral contexts. These results are in line with an additive or interactive rather than an exclusive model of fear and anxiety, indicating facilitated defensive behavior to imminent danger in situations of potential threat.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{StegmannAndreattaPaulietal.2023,
  author    = {Stegmann, Yannik and Andreatta, Marta and Pauli, Paul and Keil, Andreas and Wieser, Matthias J.},
  title     = {Investigating sustained attention in contextual threat using steady-state VEPs evoked by flickering video stimuli},
  series = {Psychophysiology},
  volume    = {60},
  journal   = {Psychophysiology},
  number    = {5},
  doi       = {10.1111/psyp.14229},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312430},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Anxiety is characterized by anxious anticipation and heightened vigilance to uncertain threat. However, if threat is not reliably indicated by a specific cue, the context in which threat was previously experienced becomes its best predictor, leading to anxiety. A suitable means to induce anxiety experimentally is context conditioning: In one context (CTX+), an unpredictable aversive stimulus (US) is repeatedly presented, in contrast to a second context (CTX-), in which no US is ever presented. In this EEG study, we investigated attentional mechanisms during acquisition and extinction learning in 38 participants, who underwent a context conditioning protocol. Flickering video stimuli (32 s clips depicting virtual offices representing CTX+/-) were used to evoke steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) as an index of visuocortical engagement with the contexts. Analyses of the electrocortical responses suggest a successful induction of the ssVEP signal by video presentation in flicker mode. Furthermore, we found clear indices of context conditioning and extinction learning on a subjective level, while cortical processing of the CTX+ was unexpectedly reduced during video presentation. The differences between CTX+ and CTX- diminished during extinction learning. Together, these results indicate that the dynamic sensory input of the video presentation leads to disruptions in the ssVEP signal, which is greater for motivationally significant, threatening contexts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AndreattaPauli2015,
  author    = {Andreatta, Marta and Pauli, Paul},
  title     = {Appetitive vs. aversive conditioning in humans},
  series = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience},
  number    = {128},
  doi       = {10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00128},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-148614},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {In classical conditioning, an initially neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS) becomes associated with a biologically salient event (unconditioned stimulus, US), which might be pain (aversive conditioning) or food (appetitive conditioning). After a few associations, the CS is able to initiate either defensive or consummatory responses, respectively. Contrary to aversive conditioning, appetitive conditioning is rarely investigated in humans, although its importance for normal and pathological behaviors (e.g., obesity, addiction) is undeniable. The present study intents to translate animal findings on appetitive conditioning to humans using food as an US. Thirty-three participants were investigated between 8 and 10 am without breakfast in order to assure that they felt hungry. During two acquisition phases, one geometrical shape (avCS+) predicted an aversive US (painful electric shock), another shape (appCS+) predicted an appetitive US (chocolate or salty pretzel according to the participants' preference), and a third shape (CS) predicted neither US. In a extinction phase, these three shapes plus a novel shape (NEW) were presented again without US delivery. Valence and arousal ratings as well as startle and skin conductance (SCR) responses were collected as learning indices. We found successful aversive and appetitive conditioning. On the one hand, the avCS+ was rated as more negative and more arousing than the CS and induced startle potentiation and enhanced SCR. On the other hand, the appCS+ was rated more positive than the CS and induced startle attenuation and larger SCR. In summary, we successfully confirmed animal findings in (hungry) humans by demonstrating appetitive learning and normal aversive learning.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HerzogAndreattaSchneideretal.2021,
  author    = {Herzog, Katharina and Andreatta, Marta and Schneider, Kristina and Schiele, Miriam A. and Domschke, Katharina and Romanos, Marcel and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Pauli, Paul},
  title     = {Reducing Generalization of Conditioned Fear: Beneficial Impact of Fear Relevance and Feedback in Discrimination Training},
  series = {Frontiers in Psychology},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Psychology},
  issn      = {1664-1078},
  doi       = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665711},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239970},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Anxiety patients over-generalize fear, possibly because of an incapacity to discriminate threat and safety signals. Discrimination trainings are promising approaches for reducing such fear over-generalization. Here we investigated the efficacy of a fear-relevant vs. a fear-irrelevant discrimination training on fear generalization and whether the effects are increased with feedback during training. Eighty participants underwent two fear acquisition blocks, during which one face (conditioned stimulus, CS+), but not another face (CS-), was associated with a female scream (unconditioned stimulus, US). During two generalization blocks, both CSs plus four morphs (generalization stimuli, GS1-GS4) were presented. Between these generalization blocks, half of the participants underwent a fear-relevant discrimination training (discrimination between CS+ and the other faces) with or without feedback and the other half a fear-irrelevant discrimination training (discrimination between the width of lines) with or without feedback. US expectancy, arousal, valence ratings, and skin conductance responses (SCR) indicated successful fear acquisition. Importantly, fear-relevant vs. fear-irrelevant discrimination trainings and feedback vs. no feedback reduced generalization as reflected in US expectancy ratings independently from one another. No effects of training condition were found for arousal and valence ratings or SCR. In summary, this is a first indication that fear-relevant discrimination training and feedback can improve the discrimination between threat and safety signals in healthy individuals, at least for learning-related evaluations, but not evaluations of valence or (physiological) arousal.},
  language  = {en}
}