Using computational learning theory to understand anxious avoidance

Maladaptive avoidance is a central impairment in anxiety. However, what causes this maladaptive avoidance, and how best to treat it, is unclear. Navigating uncertainty correctly – that is, knowing when to approach uncertain, potentially dangerous situations and when to avoid – may underlie these issues in anxiety. I will present findings from studies using computational modeling of behavioral and neural data to investigate how people with anxiety learn and make choices with uncertainty. Our results show that anxiety is not related to a greater avoidance of uncertainty, but rather to difficulty learning and using uncertainty adaptively, suggesting new routes for intervention and prevention. 

Dr. Vanessa Brown is an Assistant Professor at Emory University.

Dr. William Hodos NACS Seminars are free and open to the public.