The Link Between Mental Imagery and the Reduction of Fear in Imaginal Extinction

Day 1. Participants are exposed to two different visual stimuli. One of these stimuli is paired with a mild electric shock (i.e. conditioned stimuli).

Day 2 (24 hours after Day 1). Participants are exposed to mental imagery of the stimuli used during fear conditioning. Imagery is prompted through different verbal instructions presented in a pseudo-randomized order. No shocks are delivered. Prior to imaginal extinction, participants receive task specific training.

Day 3 (48 h after day1). Participants are exposed to the same stimuli used during fear conditioning (day 1) and imaginal extinction (day 2). Two unsignaled shocks are delivered at the beginning of the experiment, prior to the presentation of the first visual stimulus. No further shocks are delivered. This procedure allows the study of long term effects of imaginal extinction.