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Project 3: Acquisition, maintenance, and change of threat expectancy

Prof. Dr. Christiane Melzig (Clinical Psychology, Experimental Psychopathology and Psychotherapy)

PhD Student: Saskia Leißner

Questionnaire studies suggest that observational learning, e.g., as taking place in parent-child dyads, is a central mechanism of the acquisition of negative outcome expectations and fear of interoceptive threat (e.g., somatic sensations as, for instance, the feeling of dyspnea). Of clinical relevance, this form of transmission of fears of interoceptive sensations is discussed to contribute to a range of psychopathologies, including anxiety and somatic symptom disorders. On the other hand, it is assumed that non-fearful modeling of parents or other models (e.g., in-school prevention programs) may foster safety expectations and thus mitigate previous adverse learning experiences or protect children from the acquisition of adverse interoceptive threat expectations in the first place. In either case, the learning of threat or safety expectation, respectively, the acquired expectations may be challenged in real life situations, when somatic sensations of varying intensity occur. This project aims to investigate such situations in which acquired threat or safety expectations are confirmed or violated. Thus, the present project will not only foster understanding of the etiology of fear of somatic sensations but will also generate valuable knowledge to create or optimize clinical interventions targeting fear of somatic sensations while focusing on effects of expectation violations. 

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