Acquisition and generalization of cough trigger beliefs in allergic rhinitis

In this study, we investigated the acquisition and generalization of symptom trigger beliefs in individuals with allergic rhinitis (n  = 24) and control participants (n = 24). In a lab-based trigger acquisition task, unique exemplars of two trigger categories were either paired with saline inhalation (CS− category) or citric acid inhalation (CS+ category). The next day, we tested recognition and symptom expectancy for CS category exemplars and exemplars of novel trigger categories. Participants acquired differential symptom expectancies for CS+ compared to CS− exemplars, with faster acquisition in participants with rhinitis. Differential symptom expectancies persisted the next day, and generalized to novel trigge r categories, with stronger generalization in rhinitis vs. control participants. These patterns of acquisition and generalization suggest that overgeneralization of trigger beliefs may complicate trigger identification in participants with allergic conditions.
Source: Journal of Behavioral Medicine - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research