Lab - Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy

In the research area "Lab(oratory)", we investigate individual processes that are relevant in the development and treatment of mental disorders under experimentally controlled conditions. This includes the development and use of simplified laboratory models that simulate learning and decision-making processes in anxiety disorders. In the field of experimental psychotherapy, we investigate the influence of controlled intervention strategies in our laboratory models. In a first step, controlled insights into the mechanisms of action of the investigated interventions can be gained before they are applied in actual treatment. Here, we focus on learning processes in fear, anxiety, and avoidance (e.g. fear extinction, fear generalization and avoidance learning) as well as approach-avoidance decision conflicts.

Avoidance, safety behavior, and fear-opposite behavior

Avoidance and safety behaviors are typically triggered by fear and adaptively used by individuals to prevent aversive consequences and harm. However, these behaviors are excessive, persistent, and associated with irrational threats in anxiety and related disorders. Above all, these behaviors result in considerable impairments and costs for individuals with anxiety disoders (e.g., no longer being able to leave their own home). In this research area, we investigate the role of these costs of avoidance in the development and treatment of clinical anxiety and avoidance. In addition, we investigate how positive outcomes that compete with fear and avoidance can facilitate fear-opposite behavior (e.g., incentive-based extinction of avoidance).

Exemplary publications and reviews:

Pittig, A., Wong, A. H. K., Glück, V. M., & Boschet, J. M. (2020). Avoidance and its bi-directional relationship with conditioned fear: Mechanisms, moderators, and clinical implications. Behavior Research and Therapy, 126, 103550. doi: 1016/j.brat.2020.103550

Pittig, A., Boschet, J. M., Glück, V. M., & Schneider, K. (2021). Elevated costly avoidance in anxiety disorders: Patients show little downregulation of acquired avoidance in face of competing rewards for approach. Depression and Anxiety, 38, 361-371. doi: 1002/da.23119

Pittig, A. & Wong, A. H. K. (2022). Reducing the return of avoidance and fear by directly targeting avoidance: Comparing incentive-based and instructed extinction of avoidance to passive fear extinction. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 13, 20438087221136424. doi: 1177/20438087221136424. Open data: osf.io/2xec3/

Pittig, A. & Wong, A. H. K. (2021). Incentive-based, instructed, and social observational extinction of avoidance: Fear-opposite actions and their influence on fear extinction. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 137, 103797. doi: 1016/j.brat.2020.103797. Open data & preprint: osf.io/7en2h/

Generalization of fear, anxiety, and avoidance

Fear and avoidance are often learned in relation to a specific stimulus (e.g. a specific dog) or situations (e.g. giving a presentation). Generalization describes the transfer of fear to novel stimuli or situations that resemble the original stimulus or situations (e.g., other animals, speaking in a group). Usually, this is an adaptive process that enables us to avoid new potential threats without having to go through new negative experiences. However, the current evidence suggests that excessive generalization of fear and anxiety is a maladaptive, pathogenic process in anxiety disorders. Such overgeneralization leads to an incorrectly exaggerated sense of threat, an increased state of anxiety and may promote dysfunctional avoidance behaviors. In this research area, we are particularly interested in how generalization leads to avoidance.

Exemplary publications:

Wong, A. H. K., Lee, J. C., Engelke, P., & Pittig, A. (2023). Reduction of costly safety behaviors after extinction with a generalization stimulus is determined by individual differences in generalization rules. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 160, 104233. doi: 1016/j.brat.2022.104233

Wong, A. H. K. & Pittig, A. (2022). Threat belief determines the degree of costly safety behavior: Assessing rule-based generalization of safety behavior with a dimensional measure of avoidance. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 156, 104158. doi: 1016/j.brat.2022.104158. Data: osf.io/62qxy/

Wong, A. H. K. & Pittig, A. (2020). Costly avoidance triggered by categorical fear generalization. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 129, 103606. doi: 1016/j.brat.2020.103606

Temporal dynamics of approach-avoidance conflicts

Individuals suffering from anxiety often avoid anxiety-related activities or situations, even if avoidance results in loss of competing positive outcomes (i.e., costly avoidance). During exposure-based treatment, approaching these situations and activities is needed to initiate new learning experiences. In this regard, decision-making conflicts between avoidance and approach are highly relevant for anxiety and related disorders. In this project, we investigate how decisions between approach and avoidance evolve over time (i.e., the temporal dynamics of these decisions) and how they are ultimately resolved. In particular, we examine the question how information about competing rewards and potential threats is integrated into the decision-making process. To this end, we use mouse tracking and time-continuous analysis methods to gain insights into which information shows which impact during the decision-making process.

Exemplary publications:

Boschet, J., Scherbaum, S., & Pittig, A. (2022). Costly avoidance of Pavlovian fear stimuli and the temporal dynamics of its decision process. Scientific Reports, 12, 6576. doi: 1038/s41598-022-09931-1. Open data: osf.io/tbxug/

Pittig, A. & Scherbaum, S. (2020). Costly avoidance in anxious individuals: Elevated threat avoidance in anxious individuals under high, but not low competing rewards. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 101524. doi: 1016/j.jbtep.2019.101524