Vagally mediated heart rate variability and safety learning: Effects of instructions and number of extinction trials

Extinction of conditioned fear serves as a laboratory model for the mechanism of action underlying exposure treatment with patients suffering from anxiety disorders. Thus, an enhanced understanding of individual differences in extinction learning may help to improve exposure procedures by tailoring treatment plans to the specific needs of the patient. Vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a promising candidate to investigate...