Counterconditioning: an effective technique for changing conditioned preferences

Exp Psychol. 2011;58(1):31-8. doi: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000063.

Abstract

The evidence for the effectiveness of counterconditioning as a strategy for changing conditioned preferences is rather scarce and inconclusive. The present experiment reinvestigated this issue and compared the effect of further conditioning, extinction, and a counterconditioning procedure on recently acquired conditioned preferences in a picture-taste paradigm. Self-report and affective priming data indicated that whereas further conditioning and extinction trials were ineffective in fully eliminating the previously acquired evaluations, the counterconditioning treatment did succeed in doing this. A follow-up valence assessment revealed that all these effects persisted after a 7-day delay period.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Conditioning, Psychological / physiology*
  • Extinction, Psychological / physiology*
  • Fear / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Young Adult