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Biological Psychology Jul 2021Among other features, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by difficulties in regulating affiliative behavior. Here, we examined the association of...
Among other features, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by difficulties in regulating affiliative behavior. Here, we examined the association of heart rate variability (HRV) with approach/avoidance behavior in BPD. Accordingly, HRV parameters (RMSSD and HF-HRV) were measured in 42 female patients with BPD and 50 controls before performing an Approach Avoidance Task (AAT). Half of participants were previously exposed to social exclusion in a virtual ball-tossing game. Overall, HRV was lower in patients with BPD compared to controls. Moreover, low HRV was associated with attenuated approach for angry faces with an averted gaze. Following social exclusion, the BPD group showed the largest approach to happy faces and the least approach for angry faces, a pattern which differed from controls and patients in the control condition. Our findings indicate an association of cardiac parasympathetic activity with social behavior. Moreover, social exclusion may foster avoidance of angry faces in BPD patients.
Topics: Anger; Avoidance Learning; Borderline Personality Disorder; Emotions; Female; Humans; Psychological Distance; Social Behavior
PubMed: 34252482
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108146 -
Behaviour Research and Therapy May 2018Recent studies have shown that avoidance behavior may become excessive and inflexible (i.e., detached from its incentive value and resistant to extinction). On the other... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Recent studies have shown that avoidance behavior may become excessive and inflexible (i.e., detached from its incentive value and resistant to extinction). On the other hand, prospective intolerance of uncertainty (P-IU) has been defined as a factor leading to excessive responding in uncertain situations. Thus, uncertain avoidance situations may be taken as a relevant scenario to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty as a factor that facilitates excessive and inflexible avoidance behavior. In our experiment, we tested the hypothesis that P-IU is associated with excessive and inflexible avoidance in an outcome devaluation paradigm. Specifically, healthy participants learned in a free-operant discriminative task to avoid an aversive sound, and were tested in extinction to measure the sensitivity of avoidance responses to the devaluation of the sound aversiveness. The results showed that an increase in P-IU was positively associated to an increase in insensitivity to the devaluation. Moreover, P-IU was also related to an increase in the frequency of avoidance responses during the instrumental learning phase, and to resistance to extinction. Interestingly, these associations involving P-IU were still significant when trait anxiety was controlled for. The pattern of results suggests that P-IU may be a vulnerability factor for excessive and inflexible avoidance, which, in turn, has been found to be associated with several mental disorders.
Topics: Anxiety; Avoidance Learning; Conditioning, Operant; Extinction, Psychological; Female; Humans; Male; Risk Factors; Uncertainty; Young Adult
PubMed: 29524740
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.02.008 -
Emotion (Washington, D.C.) Apr 2024Relief, a pleasurable experience, is often triggered by successful threat avoidance. Although relief is regarded as the positive reinforcer for avoidance behavior, its...
Relief, a pleasurable experience, is often triggered by successful threat avoidance. Although relief is regarded as the positive reinforcer for avoidance behavior, its rewarding nature remains to be demonstrated. In our study, 50 participants responded to cues associated with different magnitudes of monetary values or electrical stimuli. Successful responses to those cues resulted in monetary gains (i.e., rewards) or omissions of electrical stimulation (i.e., relief), followed by a pleasantness rating scale. We also measured physiological arousal via skin conductance. As expected, we found that for reward and relief similarly, higher magnitudes elicited more successful responses, higher pleasantness ratings, and higher skin conductance responses. Moreover, differential reward/relief response patterns predicted later choices between reward and relief cues. These findings indicate that relief induced by threat omissions is functionally equivalent to receiving a reward, confirming that relief is a positive reinforcer for threat avoidance behaviors, which provides a new theoretical perspective on the learning process of active threat avoidance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Pleasure; Emotions; Avoidance Learning; Cues; Reward
PubMed: 37971851
DOI: 10.1037/emo0001312 -
Brain Research Jan 2011Spinal cord injury (SCI) pain in humans is difficult to treat, and the lack of valid methods to measure behavior comparable to the complex human pain experience...
Spinal cord injury (SCI) pain in humans is difficult to treat, and the lack of valid methods to measure behavior comparable to the complex human pain experience preclinically represents an important obstacle to finding better treatments for this type of central pain. The place escape/avoidance paradigm (PEAP) relies on the active choice of an animal between its natural preference for a dark environment or pain relief, and it has been suggested to measure the affective-motivational component of pain. We have modified the method to a T10 spinal cord contusion model (SCC) of at-level central neuropathic pain in Sprague-Dawley rats. In order to demonstrate sensitivity to change in escape/avoidance behavior and thus the applicability of the PEAP method to predict drug efficacy, we investigated the effect of pregabalin (30 mg/kg) treatment in a randomized design. SCC animals displayed increased escape/avoidance behavior postinjury, indicating at-level mechanical hypersensitivity. Second, we found no correlation between state anxiety levels in SCC animals (elevated plus maze) and PEAP behavior, suggesting that the PEAP measurement is not biased by differences in anxiety levels. Third, we demonstrated a decrease in escape/avoidance behavior in response to treatment with the analgesic drug pregabalin. Thus, the PEAP may be applicable as a surrogate correlate of human pain. In conclusion, the primary finding in this study was a sensitivity to change in escape/avoidance behavior induced by pharmacological modulation with analgesics, supporting the use of the PEAP as a central outcome measure in preclinical SCI pain research.
Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Anxiety; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Disease Models, Animal; Fear; Female; Neuropsychological Tests; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Pain, Intractable; Pregabalin; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Spinal Cord Injuries; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
PubMed: 21070753
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.11.008 -
Journal of Comparative and... Oct 1966
Topics: Animals; Avoidance Learning; Conditioning, Psychological; Discrimination Learning; Electroshock; Fear; Female; Rats; Reinforcement, Psychology
PubMed: 5969598
DOI: 10.1037/h0023678 -
Aquatic Toxicology (Amsterdam,... Jan 2016Most freshwater mussel species of the Unionoida are endangered, presenting a conservation issue as they are keystone species providing essential services for aquatic...
Most freshwater mussel species of the Unionoida are endangered, presenting a conservation issue as they are keystone species providing essential services for aquatic ecosystems. As filter feeders with limited mobility, mussels are highly susceptible to water pollution. Despite their exposure risk, mussels are underrepresented in standard ecotoxicological methods. This study aimed to demonstrate that mussel behavioral response to a chemical stressor is a suitable biomarker for the advancement of ecotoxicology methods that aids mussel conservation. Modern software and Hall sensor technology enabled mussel filtration behavior to be monitored real-time at very high resolution. With this technology, we present our method using Anodonta anatina and record their response to de-icing salt pollution. The experiment involved an environmentally relevant 'pulse-exposure' design simulating three subsequent inflow events. Three sublethal endpoints were investigated, Filtration Activity, Transition Frequency (number of changes from opened to closed, or vice versa) and Avoidance Behavior. The mussels presented a high variation in filtration behavior, behaving asynchronously. At environmentally relevant de-icing salt exposure scenarios, A. anatina behavior patterns were significantly affected. Treated mussels' Filtration Activity decreased during periods of very high and long de-icing salt exposure (p<0.001), however, increased during short de-icing salt exposure. Treated mussels' Transition Frequency increased during periods of very high and long de-icing salt exposure (p<0.001), which mirrored the Avoidance Behavior endpoint observed only by mussels under chemical stress. Characteristics of Avoidance Behavior were tighter shell closures with repeated and irregular shell movements which was significantly different to their undisturbed resting behavior (p<0.001). Additionally, we found that mussels were sensitive to a chemical stressor even when the mussel's valves were closed. Due to the effects of de-icing salt pollution on freshwater mussel behavior, we suggest better management practices for de-icing salt use be implemented. Our experimental method demonstrated that, with the application of current technologies, mussel behavioral response to a chemical stressor can be measured. The tested sublethal endpoints are suitable for mussel ecotoxicology studies. Avoidance Behavior proved to be a potentially suitable endpoint for calculating mussel behavior effect concentration. Therefore we recommend adult mussel behavior as a suitable biomarker for future ecotoxicological research. This method could be applied to other bivalve species and for physical and environmental stressors, such as particulate matter and temperature.
Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Anodonta; Avoidance Learning; Behavior, Animal; Biomarkers; Ecotoxicology; Filtration; Reproducibility of Results; Sodium Chloride
PubMed: 26187809
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.06.014 -
Psychopharmacology Apr 2015Avoidance of contexts directly associated with fearful experiences represents an adaptive behavioral survival strategy. Over-interpretation of contextual cues leading to...
RATIONALE
Avoidance of contexts directly associated with fearful experiences represents an adaptive behavioral survival strategy. Over-interpretation of contextual cues leading to generalized avoidance of situations that are only remotely similar to the original fear context represents a pathologic process that contributes to anxiety disorders. Orexin neuropeptides modulate anxiety-like behavioral and physiological responses.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper was to investigate the impact of pharmacological orexin receptor blockade on generalized avoidance behavior.
METHODS
Rats received a single electric foot-shock in the dark side of a two-compartment shuttle box followed by situational context reminders. After shock, rats were treated chronically (3 weeks) with the orexin receptor antagonist almorexant or with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sertraline, used as positive anxiolytic control. In week 3, avoidance behavior was measured under conditions of high (dark-light (DL)-box) and low (elevated plus maze (EPM)) similarity to the original shock context. Avoidance behavior was re-assessed 5 and 17 weeks after treatment termination.
RESULTS
Avoidance in the DL box (contextual fear memory) remained unaffected by any treatment and lasted 20 weeks post-shock exposure. Avoidance in the EPM (neophobic fear generalization) was partially attenuated during treatment with almorexant and sertraline at week 3. Following 5 and 17 weeks of drug washout, avoidance in the EPM was significantly reduced in almorexant- but not in sertraline-treated rats. Almorexant also reduced persistent avoidance in the EPM upon treatment initiation 3 weeks after shock exposure.
CONCLUSION
Chronic orexin receptor blockade in rats reduces both the development and persistence of generalized avoidance in situations with low similarity to the initial shock context.
Topics: Acetamides; Animals; Avoidance Learning; Electroshock; Fear; Isoquinolines; Male; Memory; Orexin Receptor Antagonists; Orexin Receptors; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sertraline
PubMed: 25319964
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3769-x -
Pain Apr 2012This experiment investigated pain-related avoidance behavior in context of competing goals. Participants (N=56) were presented trials of 2 different tasks of which 1... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Randomized Controlled Trial
This experiment investigated pain-related avoidance behavior in context of competing goals. Participants (N=56) were presented trials of 2 different tasks of which 1 task could produce pain. They were free to decide whether or not to perform trials of these tasks. In half of the participants, a competing goal was activated by instructing them that they would receive a monetary reward corresponding to the number of pain task trials actually performed (competition group). In the other half of the participants, no competing goal was installed (control group). Results showed that the competition group showed less frequent avoidance behavior than the control group. Furthermore, the association between pain-related avoidance behavior and fear of pain was smaller in the competition group than in the control group. The findings indicate that the emergence of pain-related avoidance behavior depends upon the motivational context, and that the association between pain-related fear and avoidance is not stable. This study has implications for our understanding of disability, and points to the need to consider avoidance behavior within a broad context of multiple, often competing, goals.
Topics: Adolescent; Avoidance Learning; Female; Goals; Humans; Male; Motivation; Pain; Pain Measurement; Reaction Time; Young Adult
PubMed: 22301333
DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2011.12.015 -
Evolutionary Psychology : An... 2018Emotional tears have been proposed to represent a robust affiliative signal whose main function is to promote the willingness to help the crying individual. However,...
Emotional tears have been proposed to represent a robust affiliative signal whose main function is to promote the willingness to help the crying individual. However, little is known about the psychological mechanisms at the basis of such responses. To investigate whether tears facilitate approach relative to avoidance tendencies, we exposed participants ( N = 77) to pictures of faces with and without visible tears, in two different approach-avoidance tasks. In the first task, participants were instructed to either move toward tearful faces and away from nontearful faces, or the other way around, by using a joystick. In the second task, participants made approaching or avoiding responses to tearful and nontearful faces by pressing buttons. The results suggest that tears facilitate behavior that reduces the distance between the observer and the crying person. However, while tears appear to promote approach relative to avoidance behavior, the current findings do not allow firm conclusions about whether tears specifically facilitate approach or rather block avoidance tendencies in observers, or whether they possibly have both effects. Findings are discussed in the context of tears' ability to act as a prosocial stimulus that signals non-aggressive intentions, as well as in the context of the functional goals that predispose humans to approach or avoid crying individuals.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Altruism; Avoidance Learning; Crying; Facial Expression; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Photic Stimulation; Psychological Tests; Reaction Time; Tears; Young Adult
PubMed: 30071754
DOI: 10.1177/1474704918791058 -
European Journal of Pharmacology Dec 1978The effect of graded doses of D-amphetamine and haloperidol were tested on retention of a one trial learning passive avoidance response, on extinction of pole-jumping...
The effect of graded doses of D-amphetamine and haloperidol were tested on retention of a one trial learning passive avoidance response, on extinction of pole-jumping active avoidance behavior and on open-field activity. Low doses of amphetamine (10 microgram/animal) increased passive avoidance latency when given s.c. 1 h prior to the retention test. Higher doses (20 and 1000 microgram/animal) caused a bimodal distribution of avoidance latencies. Haloperidol (0.03 or 1.0 microgram/animal) significantly attenuated passive avoidance behavior. Amphetamine caused a delay of extinction of pole-jumping avoidance behavior in a dose-dependent manner (10, 30 or 90 microgram per rat). Conversely, haloperidol induced a dose-dependent facilitation of extinction (0.03 or 0.1 microgram per rat). Open-field activity was not significantly affected by 30 microgram amphetamine or 0.03 microgram haloperidol; 90 microgram amphetamine significantly increased rearing activity and 0.1 microgram haloperidol decreased ambulation. The data show that passive and active avoidance behavior are sensitive measures to test the activity of psychomotor stimulant and neuroleptic drugs. Exploratory behavior allows more specific behavioral effects to be dissociated from locomotor influences.
Topics: Animals; Avoidance Learning; Dextroamphetamine; Exploratory Behavior; Extinction, Psychological; Haloperidol; Male; Motor Activity; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Time Factors
PubMed: 738353
DOI: 10.1016/0014-2999(78)90272-8