3.03 Tesis doctorado

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Browsing 3.03 Tesis doctorado by Subject "03 Good Health and Wellbeing"

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    Role of Emotion Regulation in the Genetic Vulnerability to Conditioned
    (2023) Miño Orellana Viviana Violeta; Quezada Scholz Vanetza Estela; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Escuela de Psicología; Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Escuela de Psicología
    Fear conditioning serves as a model for understanding fear and anxiety acquisition and extinction, with exposure therapy being the primary approach for anxiety disorders. However, some patients do not fully recover, leading to concerns about fear recurrence. Recent research has turned its focus to genetic factors, particularly the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT), and emotion regulation as potential determinants of treatment outcomes. This study examines the role of the 5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), with a focus on individuals carrying the S allele known for heightened fear acquisition and reduced extinction. Additionally, cognitive reappraisal, an emotion-regulation technique, is explored for its potential to enhance exposure therapy. The primary objective is to investigate how individuals with the S allele of 5-HTTLPR respond to cognitive reappraisal during fear acquisition, extinction, and reinstatement. A social conditioning task using still faces as conditioned stimuli and insulting videos as unconditioned stimuli is employed. It is hypothesized that S allele carriers can effectively regulate fear through reappraisal, despite their increased fear acquisition and reduced extinction. Findings reveal that S-allele carriers exhibit higher trait, state, and social anxiety, along with an increased expectation of unpleasant interactions in social situations. They also demonstrate a delay in fear extinction. However, when all participants, regardless of their genetic makeup, utilize cognitive reappraisal, fear extinction improves significantly, as evidenced by reduced expectancy of aversive outcomes. This suggests that training individuals with anxiety disorders in cognitive reappraisal techniques, particularly S-allele carriers, may compensate for deficits in fear extinction in anxiety-provoking social contexts. This study deepens our understanding of the interplay between genetic factors, emotion regulation, and fear conditioning, with potential implications for enhancing exposure therapy effectiveness for anxiety disorders, especially in individuals with a genetic predisposition for heightened fear responses.