Role and Significance of Classical Conditioning in Anxiety Related Disorders: Clinical Applications of Phenomena in Classical Conditioning and Associative Learning Theory

Abstract

Classical conditioning plays an important role in developing anxiety related disorders. However, such role is not clearly specified in recent findings in learning psychology and clinical psychological practices. This paper aimed to discuss the method for applying the findings of classical conditioning in animals including humans and associative learning theories to clinical psychological practices. We described phenomena that are related to classical conditioning procedure from the perspective of “the factor other than conditioning trials affecting conditioned response (CR)” and “the factor causing relapse of CR after extinction”, and then discussed the possibility of these phenomena occurring in clinical settings. We also reviewed two associative learning theories, Rescorla–Wagner model and Bouton’s model, and then discussed whether these can be applied to clinical interventions. Finally, we discussed the importance of applying the findings of classical conditioning to cognitive behavior therapy.