Psychophysiological Outcome Responses in Human Pavlovian Fear Conditioning: A Prediction Error Analysis.
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| Title: | Psychophysiological Outcome Responses in Human Pavlovian Fear Conditioning: A Prediction Error Analysis. |
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| Authors: | Liu, Huaiyu (AUTHOR), Linnell, Josie (AUTHOR), Bach, Dominik R. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Psychophysiology. Apr2026, Vol. 63 Issue 4, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Associative learning, Psychophysiology, Pupillary reflex, Classical conditioning, Galvanic skin response |
| Abstract: | Prediction errors (PE) are thought to drive associative learning. While neural signals consistent with PE encoding have been identified, the expression of PE in psychophysiological indices remains debated. Here, we sought to fill this gap by investigating responses to unconditioned stimulus (US) occurrence and probability in skin conductance responses (SCR), pupil size responses (PSR), heart period responses (HPR), and respiration amplitude responses (RAR). Data set 1 consisted of eight published studies (N1 = 264) using differential fear conditioning with partial reinforcement (50%), and novel data set 2 (N2 = 29) parametrically varied US probability (20%/50%/80%). Across both data sets, all modalities showed differential responses to the US compared to US omission. In data set 1, there was evidence for responses to unexpected as compared to expected US omission in all modalities, but no responses were consistent with signed or unsigned PE encoding. Similarly, data set 2 provided no evidence that US or US omission responses monotonically related to outcome probability, which is incompatible with both signed and unsigned PE encoding. In conclusion, all recorded psychophysiological signals responded strongly to US and less strongly to unexpected US omission, with no evidence of either signed or unsigned PE encoding. Impact Statement: Pavlovian reward learning is driven by prediction errors (PE), but it remains unclear whether this is also the case for aversive learning, and to what extent PE are expressed in physiological indices. Here, we examined responses to outcome magnitude and probability to assess the expression of PE across four psychophysiological indices (SCR, PSR, HPR, RAR). Results replicated the well‐known US response in all modalities; however, we found clear evidence against signed PE encoding and no evidence for unsigned PE encoding. These findings may inform future work on computational modeling of fear learning and reconsolidation‐based clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Psychophysiology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: pbh DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection An: 193256195 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Psychophysiological Outcome Responses in Human Pavlovian Fear Conditioning: A Prediction Error Analysis. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liu%2C+Huaiyu%22">Liu, Huaiyu</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Linnell%2C+Josie%22">Linnell, Josie</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bach%2C+Dominik+R%2E%22">Bach, Dominik R.</searchLink> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Psychophysiology%22">Psychophysiology</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 63 Issue 4, p1-12. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Associative+learning%22">Associative learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychophysiology%22">Psychophysiology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pupillary+reflex%22">Pupillary reflex</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classical+conditioning%22">Classical conditioning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Galvanic+skin+response%22">Galvanic skin response</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Prediction errors (PE) are thought to drive associative learning. While neural signals consistent with PE encoding have been identified, the expression of PE in psychophysiological indices remains debated. Here, we sought to fill this gap by investigating responses to unconditioned stimulus (US) occurrence and probability in skin conductance responses (SCR), pupil size responses (PSR), heart period responses (HPR), and respiration amplitude responses (RAR). Data set 1 consisted of eight published studies (N1 = 264) using differential fear conditioning with partial reinforcement (50%), and novel data set 2 (N2 = 29) parametrically varied US probability (20%/50%/80%). Across both data sets, all modalities showed differential responses to the US compared to US omission. In data set 1, there was evidence for responses to unexpected as compared to expected US omission in all modalities, but no responses were consistent with signed or unsigned PE encoding. Similarly, data set 2 provided no evidence that US or US omission responses monotonically related to outcome probability, which is incompatible with both signed and unsigned PE encoding. In conclusion, all recorded psychophysiological signals responded strongly to US and less strongly to unexpected US omission, with no evidence of either signed or unsigned PE encoding. Impact Statement: Pavlovian reward learning is driven by prediction errors (PE), but it remains unclear whether this is also the case for aversive learning, and to what extent PE are expressed in physiological indices. Here, we examined responses to outcome magnitude and probability to assess the expression of PE across four psychophysiological indices (SCR, PSR, HPR, RAR). Results replicated the well‐known US response in all modalities; however, we found clear evidence against signed PE encoding and no evidence for unsigned PE encoding. These findings may inform future work on computational modeling of fear learning and reconsolidation‐based clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Psychophysiology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/psyp.70300 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Associative learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychophysiology Type: general – SubjectFull: Pupillary reflex Type: general – SubjectFull: Classical conditioning Type: general – SubjectFull: Galvanic skin response Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Psychophysiological Outcome Responses in Human Pavlovian Fear Conditioning: A Prediction Error Analysis. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Liu, Huaiyu – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Linnell, Josie – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bach, Dominik R. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Text: Apr2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00485772 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 63 – Type: issue Value: 4 Titles: – TitleFull: Psychophysiology Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
