Mechanisms of fear extinction: researchers studying abatement of a learned fear response generally investigate changes in response when the animal is presented with the conditioned stimulus without the aversive unconditioned stimulus. The process by which a decline in the conditioned fear response occurs is referred to as fear extinction, characterised as a form of inhibitory learning rather than erasure of the conditioned fear. Extinguished fear responses are observed to reappear, via reinstatement, renewal or spontaneous recovery. This paper considers behavioural, theoretical and neurobiological perspectives.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:57:53 +0000