Alina Koppold

Anxiety-related traits (ARTs) have been linked to altered fear learning, but previous studies have typically examined different experimental phases and response systems, limiting the comparability of findings and the accumulation of consistent evidence. Here, we comprehensively examined associations between ARTs and fear conditioning across acquisition, extinction and renewal and across subjective, physiological and neural response systems in a well-powered sample (N = 267) using a two-day differential conditioning paradigm. ARTs were operationalized as a composite of trait anxiety, neuroticism, and intolerance of uncertainty and conditioned responding was assessed using skin conductance responses, fear-potentiated startle, US expectancy ratings, fear ratings, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Higher ARTs were consistently associated with elevated subjective fear and US expectancy to both threat and safety cues during extinction and renewal, without corresponding elevations in physiological responding. At the same time, ARTs were not associated with threat-safety discrimination in subjective or physiological measures across phases, while neural associations were limited to reduced dorsal anterior cingulate cortex discrimination during early renewal. These findings suggest that ARTs are characterized by a CS unspecific cognitive bias toward heightened threat expectancy and evaluation rather than altered associative fear learning, highlighting the importance of distinguishing conditioned discrimination from general levels of responding across response systems.

Biological psychology links mental phenomena and physiological processes, advancing our understanding of the human condition and informing clinical applications. Unlocking this potential demands rigorous and transparent methodology. Artificial Intelligence (AI), encompassing generative (e.g., large language) models and machine-learning classifiers, promises to advance open science in this field through automated literature synthesis, experimental design assistance, and enhanced code documentation. Yet the same tools risk undermining transparency through algorithmic opacity, systematic biases, and non-reproducible outputs. In this paper, we critically examine how AI can support or hinder open science practices throughout the biopsychological research cycle. We discuss current AI applications at each research stage and explore their potential benefits (e.g., accelerated systematic reviews, stimulus generation, metadata formatting) alongside relevant concerns (e.g., premature study exclusion, confabulated citations, amplified publication bias). To provide practical guidance, we offer recommendations on how AI may be used to promote the adoption and implementation of open science practices at each step of the biopsychological research cycle. Alongside potential pitfalls and a future vision, these guidelines equip biopsychological researchers with actionable support for integrating AI-based methods into their work in line with open science principles.

Replicability is a cornerstone of scientific progress. Yet, replications are often undervalued, and are sometimes seen as redundant, unimportant, or lacking novelty. This impedes their broader adoption in research and beyond. In response, the credibility revolution calls for slower, more deliberate science and greater responsiveness to fallibility. In this perspective piece, we argue that (a) replications are essential for validating scientific claims, (b) replications need to be made more visible, recognized, and integrated into research and educational practices, and (c) we can change the way we view and judge replication results. We propose a framework where replication studies can be systematically tracked and normalized through the Replication Hub as part of the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) initiative, with the goal of enhancing the visibility, integration, and cumulative impact of replication research across disciplines.

Replicability is a cornerstone of scientific progress. Yet, replications are often undervalued, and are sometimes seen as redundant, unimportant, or lacking novelty. This impedes their broader adoption in research and beyond. In response, the credibility revolution calls for slower, more deliberate science and greater responsiveness to fallibility. In this perspective piece, we argue that (a) replications are essential for validating scientific claims, (b) replications need to be made more visible, recognized, and integrated into research and educational practices, and (c) we can change the way we view and judge replication results. We propose a framework where replication studies can be systematically tracked and normalized through the Replication Hub as part of the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) initiative, with the goal of enhancing the visibility, integration, and cumulative impact of replication research across disciplines.

Defensive responses to threat are critical for survival and often involve freezing‐like behavior, which has been linked to action preparation. However, it remains unclear how this preparatory mechanism is influenced by unpredictable aversive stimuli that are difficult to discriminate or anticipate. In this study, we introduce a modified paradigm to examine how freezing‐like behavior is affected by action preparation under temporal threat predictability, unpredictability, and safety. Using a multimodal approach in a large sample ( n = 235, 148 female), we assessed postural sway and heart rate as markers of freezing‐like behavior, alongside skin conductance levels, electromyographic startle responses, behavioral performance, and subjective ratings. Behaviorally, participants responded faster but less accurately under threat compared to safety, replicating previous findings. Physiologically, threat conditions were associated with both parasympathetically mediated postural freezing and sympathetically driven increases in skin conductance. Importantly, the temporal (un)predictability of threat did not modulate freezing‐like behavior or skin conductance responses. Startle responses were generally inhibited during all conditions (threat and safety) relative to the inter‐trial interval. These findings indicate that action preparation under threat involves concurrent activation of both parasympathetic (postural freezing) and sympathetic systems (skin conductance), consistent with animal models of freezing. The absence of modulation by temporal threat unpredictability may be indicative of a generalized defensive mode that prioritizes readiness over specificity.

Replicability is a cornerstone of scientific progress. Yet, replications are often undervalued, and are sometimes seen as redundant, unimportant, or lacking novelty. This impedes their broader adoption in research and beyond. In response, the credibility revolution calls for slower, more deliberate science and greater responsiveness to fallibility. In this perspective piece, we argue that (a) replications are essential for validating scientific claims, (b) replications need to be made more visible, recognized, and integrated into research and educational practices, and (c) we can change the way we view and judge replication results. We propose a framework where replication studies can be systematically tracked and normalized through the Replication Hub as part of the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) initiative, with the goal of enhancing the visibility, integration, and cumulative impact of replication research across disciplines.

Replicability is a cornerstone of scientific progress. Yet, replications are often undervalued, and are sometimes seen as redundant, unimportant, or lacking novelty. This impedes their broader adoption in research and beyond. In response, the credibility revolution calls for slower, more deliberate science and greater responsiveness to fallibility. In this perspective piece, we argue that (a) replications are essential for validating scientific claims, (b) replications need to be made more visible, recognized, and integrated into research and educational practices, and (c) we can change the way we view and judge replication results. We propose a framework where replication studies can be systematically tracked and normalized through the Replication Hub as part of the Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT) initiative, with the goal of enhancing the visibility, integration, and cumulative impact of replication research across disciplines.

Defensive responses to threat are critical for survival and often involve freezing-like behavior, which has been linked to action preparation. However, it remains unclear how this preparatory mechanism is influenced by unpredictable aversive stimuli that are difficult to discriminate or anticipate. In this study, we introduce a modified paradigm to examine how freezing-like behavior is affected by action preparation under temporal threat predictability, unpredictability, and safety. Using a multimodal approach in a large sample (n = 235, 148 female), we assessed postural sway and heart rate as markers of freezing-like behavior, alongside skin conductance levels, electromyographic startle responses, behavioral performance, and subjective ratings. Behaviorally, participants responded faster but less accurately under threat compared to safety, replicating previous findings. Physiologically, threat conditions were associated with both parasympathetically mediated postural freezing and sympathetically driven increases in skin conductance. Importantly, the temporal (un)predictability of threat did not modulate freezing-like behavior or skin conductance responses. Startle responses were generally inhibited during all conditions (threat and safety) relative to the inter-trial interval. These findings indicate that action preparation under threat involves concurrent activation of both parasympathetic (postural freezing) and sympathetic systems (skin conductance), consistent with animal models of freezing. The absence of modulation by temporal threat unpredictability may be indicative of a generalized defensive mode that prioritizes readiness over specificity.

Affective experiences are inevitably accompanied by physiological changes. However, it is still a matter of intense debate whether events evoking similar affective experiences produce comparable physiological responses (fingerprint hypothesis) or variation is the norm within individuals (populations hypothesis). We reanalyzed data from two independent samples ( N = 695; N = 64), using representational similarity analysis (RSA) to examine the trial‐by‐trial similarity patterns of subjective experience of valence and arousal and affect‐related physiological measures (skin conductance [SCR] and startle blink responses) and their modulation by physiological intraindividual variability. Across physiological measures and tasks (passive picture viewing, passive sound listening, and imagery tasks), we observed that disregarding versus considering intraindividual variability when constructing psychophysiological response patterns yielded different associations with affective models, aligning with the fingerprint hypothesis and the populations hypotheses of affect, respectively. More importantly, follow‐up analysis revealed that considering intraindividual variability yields a better representation of the SCR and startle patterns across individuals and tasks. Our results demonstrated that similar affective experiences are rather reflected by distinct physiological responses and emphasized the importance of considering intraindividual variability in future studies to better understand how physiological changes contribute to conscious affective experiences in humans.

Adaptive fear responses help individuals avoid danger, but excessive avoidance can hinder learning and contribute to persistent anxiety. To investigate the dynamics of approach–avoidance (AA) conflict under threat, we developed and validated a novel immersive virtual reality (VR) paradigm that integrates gamified reward-punishment contingencies into a naturalistic foraging task. In a multimethod approach a total of 242 participants navigated three distinct VR environments (water, forest, desert), each associated with different probabilities of experiencing an aversive electric stimulation and varying reward potentials. Participants were required to collect sufficient virtual energy to ensure survival, balancing risk and reward over 24 trials. Behavioral results revealed a consistent “better safe than sorry” strategy, with increased time spent and faster transitions toward the safest, low-reward context. Self-reported motivations (e.g., reward-seeking vs. threat-avoidance) aligned with behavioral choices, while standard BIS/BAS trait measures failed to predict AA behavior. Electrodermal activity mirrored behavioral patterns during pre-exploration, but only the water context showed a significant post-task decline in arousal, possibly reflecting habituation or novelty effects. Exploratory post-task behavior suggested increased comfort in moderate-risk environments, supporting potential applications in exposure-based interventions. This paradigm offers a flexible and ecologically valid tool for studying AA conflict, with potential for identifying individual differences in motivation and affective regulation. Future research may leverage this approach for clinical profiling, real-time assessment of avoidance strategies, and testing adaptive interventions in anxiety and related disorders.