Rating data are underrated: Validity of US expectancy in human fear conditioning

Background and objectivesHuman fear conditioning is widely regarded as one of the prime paradigms for the study of fear and anxiety disorders. We provide an evaluation of a commonly used subjective measure in the human fear conditioning paradigm, namely the US-expectancy measurement.MethodsWe assess the validity of US-expectancy with respect to conditions of pathological fear and anxiety using four established criteria for scrutiny of a laboratory test or model (i.e., face validity, diagnostic validity, predictive validity, construct validity).ResultsArguably, there is sufficient evidence for the face validity, diagnostic validity, predictive validity and construct validity of the US-expectancy measure.LimitationsPresumed limitations of the US-expectancy measure, including its susceptibility to experimental demand and memory bias, are discussed.ConclusionsThe US-expectancy measure is a valuable measurement method that can be effectively used in research that aims to enhance our understanding of fear and anxiety disorders.