Utilizing an observational learning paradigm to examine associative changes in pain-related fear

摘要

The recently published paper by Helsen et al utilizes an observational learning paradigm to examine acquisition and extinction of discriminative fear to pain-related stimuli. The results show successful acquisition and extinction by exposure. The authors present an interesting preparation that could be used in a variety of ways to address the mechanisms underlying associative changes in pain-related fear in both clinical and nonclin-ical samples.