DECREMENTS IN HUMAN INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE DUE TO RESPONSE COMPETITION AND FEAR EXTINCTION

In Exp. I, Ss were instructed to press as quickly as possible Button 1 (RBI) to a 2000-cps tone as CS and to press either RB1 or Button 2 (RBS) to a following tone of either 1000 cps (GS1) or 500 cps (GS2). Performance of RB1 to CS was best when followed by RB1 to GS2 and worst after RB2 to GS1, as expected in terms of response competition. In Exp. II, the same procedure followed a period of fear conditioning Ss not being instructed to respond quickly; and fear strength was monitored with the probe-stimulus technique. Performance decrements in the responses to both CS and generalizing stimul closely followed fear extinction, suggesting that it acts independently of direct response competition to produce similar effects. There was also evidence that the fear response is itself extinguished through response competition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.