Generalization Between Perceptually Similar Stimuli Is Associated With Improvement in Social Anxiety Following Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders requires that people learn to inhibit their fear during exposure to stimuli that no longer pose a threat. We investigate whether individual differences in this inhibitory learning ability, measured prior to treatment, can predict responsiveness to CBT for social anxiety disorder. Participants (N = 128) were randomized to CBT or a wait-list control and completed tests of fear generalization and extinction prior to and following the intervention period. Contrary to expectations, individual differences in extinction, measured at pretreatment, were not associated with treatment responses but there was evidence that these abilities changed over time due to treatment. Individual differences in fear generalization at pretreatment were associated with treatment responses. Weaker generalization between dangerous and perceptually similar but novel safe stimuli was associated with enhanced responding to CBT. These findings contribute to the development of a mechanistic approach to patient stratification where participants who are least likely to respond to CBT can be identified prior to treatment.