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There is a large body of literature based on
anticipation of aversive stimuli. In one study, cluster
analysis was used to identify different patterns of HR
responses during anticipation of aversive noise (Hodes,
Cook, & Lang, 1985) Results indicated that there were
three types of responders; accelerators, decelerators, and
moderate decelerators similar to the groups obtained by Hare
(1972). The authors concluded that both the accelerators
and decelerators developed the expectancy that the CS+ would
precede the presentation of UCS. Accelerators, however,
associated fear with the CS+, while the decelerators did
not. The authors suggested that because the classical
aversive conditioning paradigm specifies no overt response
set, the subjects spontaneously assumed a response
disposition. Specifically, some responded with an
anticipatory, attentive set demonstrated by decelerators,
whereas others displayed an implicit avoidance characterized
by a defensive response. Moderate decelerators showed
discordance between verbal and physiological behavior.
Thus, these subjects maintained an attentive set, but
evaluated the stimuli as aversive instead of interesting.
The authors concluded that "It is conceivable that the
tactile assault of shock is necessary to consistently elicit
DR's to such potentially skin mordant stimuli as snakes and
spiders," (p.555).