Angry and fearful compared to happy or neutral faces as conditional stimuli in human fear conditioning: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (August 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ney, Luke J.; O'Donohue, Matthew P.; Lowe, Benjamin G.; Lipp, Ottmar V.
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. Volume 139(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-08
• Subjects: Fear conditioning -- Fear extinction -- Facial expressions -- Conditional stimuli -- Preparedness; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Ethology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiologie -- Périodiques; Comportement humain -- Périodiques; Animaux -- Mœurs et comportement -- Périodiques; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Animal behavior; Human behavior; Neurology; Psychophysiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 573.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104756
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-7634

Abstract

Abstract: Some previous research has shown stronger acquisition and impaired extinction of fear conditioned to angry or fearful compared to happy or neutral face conditional stimuli (CS) – a difference attributed to biological 'preparedness'. A systematic review and meta-analysis of fear conditioning studies comparing face CSs of differing expressions identified thirty studies, eighteen of which were eligible for meta-analysis. Skin conductance responses were larger to angry or fearful faces compared to happy or neutral faces during habituation, acquisition and extinction. Significant differences in differential conditioning between angry, fearful, neutral, and happy face CSs were also found, but differences were more prominent between angry and neutral faces compared to angry/fearful and happy faces. This is likely due to lower arousal elicited by neutral compared to happy faces, which may be more salient as CSs. The findings suggest there are small to moderate differences in differential conditioning when angry or fearful compared to happy or neutral faces are used as CSs. These findings have implications for fear conditioning study design and the preparedness theory. Highlights: Fear-relevant face stimuli may enhance acquisition and impair extinction of conditioned fear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to address this. Fear-relevant faces enhanced acquisition compared to neutral but not happy face conditional stimuli. Extinction was impaired with fear-relevant compared to both neutral and happy face conditional stimuli. These affects are likely due to relevance detection rather than biological preparedness.