Test of an Inhibitory Learning Model of Extinction in Treatment of Anxious Youth

Recently, basic research conducted in adults has revealed that fear extinction, or the weakening of a learned fear response, may be best explained by principles of \"inhibitory learning.\" New guidelines for the clinical practice of exposure therapy for anxiety disorders have arisen from research on inhibitory learning, but these guidelines have not yet been empirically tested in youth with anxiety disorders. The overall goal of this research is to investigate the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of conducting exposure therapy for anxiety disorders in youth according to clinical guidelines developed from basic research on inhibitory learning principles, using a pilot randomized controlled trial design.