incubation of anxiety

the increase in a conditioned anxiety response that occurs with repeated unreinforced presentation of a conditioned stimulus. For example, a person with a spider phobia might become more afraid of spiders each time he or she encounters one, even if no encounter is paired with a traumatic event, such as the spider biting. [first proposed by Hans Eysenck as the basis of his conditioning theory of neurosis]

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Psychology term of the day

December 3rd 2024

5-HTTLPR

abbreviation for serotonin transporter–linked polymorphism region. See serotonin transporter.