Approach and Conquer: Optimizing Fear Extinction by Adding Approach?

• Published in: Journal of experimental psychopathology Vol. 15; no. 3
• Main Authors: Carpentier, Naomi, Scheveneels, Sara, Hermans, Dirk
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.07.2024; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Approach behavior; Avoidance behavior; Expectancy; Extinction behavior; Fear conditioning; Impulsive behavior; Learning; anxiety; Exposure; avoidance; approach; fear extinction

Exposure treatment involves systematic confrontation with fear-inducing stimuli, effectively reducing fear and anxiety. However, a significant number of clients still experience a return of fear (ROF) after treatment. This study investigates whether incorporating an approach component during fear ex...