Aversive imagery causes de novo fear conditioning (Open Data and Open Materials)

<strong>Open Data and Open Materials of: Mueller, E. M., Sperl, M. F. J., &amp; Panitz, C. (2019). Aversive imagery causes de novo fear conditioning. <em>Psychological Science</em>, <em>30</em>(7), 1001–1015.</strong> In classical fear conditioning, neutral conditioned stimuli (CS) that have been paired with aversive physical unconditioned stimuli eventually trigger fear responses. Here, we test whether aversive mental images systematically paired with a CS may also cause de novo fear learning in the absence of any external aversive stimulation. In two experiments, <em>N</em>=45 and <em>N</em>=41 participants were first trained to produce aversive, neutral, or no imagery in response to one of three different visual imagery cues. In a subsequent imagery-based differential conditioning paradigm, each of the three cues systematically co-terminated with one of three different neutral faces. Although the face that was paired with the aversive imagery cue was never paired with aversive external stimuli or threat-related instructions, participants rated it as more arousing, unpleasant, and threatening and displayed relative fear bradycardia and fear-potentiated startle. These results could be relevant for the development of fear and related disorders without trauma.