Abstract
Generalised avoidance behaviours are a common diagnostic feature of anxiety-related disorders and a barrier to affecting changes in anxiety during therapy. However, strategies to mitigate generalised avoidance are under-investigated. Even less attention is given to reducing the category-based generalisation of avoidance. We therefore investigated the potential of an operant-based approach. Specifically, it was examined whether reinforcing competing (non-avoidance) behaviours to threat-predictive cues would interfere with the expression of generalised avoidance. Using a matching-to-sample task, artificial stimulus categories were established using physically dissimilar nonsense shapes. A member of one category (conditioned stimulus; CS1) was then associated with an aversive outcome in an Acquisition context, unless an avoidance response was made. Next, competing behaviours were reinforced in response to the CS1 in new contexts. Finally, we tested for the generalisation of avoidance to another member of the stimulus category (generalisation stimulus; GS1) in both a Novel context and the Acquisition context. The selective generalisation of avoidance to GS1 was observed, but only in the Acquisition context. In the Novel context, the generalisation of avoidance to GSs was significantly reduced. A comparison group (Experiment 2), which did not learn any competing behaviours, avoided GS1 in both contexts. These findings suggest that reinforcing competing behavioural responses to threat-predictive cues can lead to reductions in generalised avoidance. This study is among the first study to demonstrate sustained reductions in generalised avoidance resulting from operant-based protocols, and the clinical and research implications are discussed.
Highlights
Avoidance tendencies that persist in the absence of any physical or psychological threat can negatively impact psychosocial functioning and lead to psychopathology (Hayes et al, 1996; LeDoux et al, 2017; Vlaeyen & Linton, 2000, 2012)
This study investigated whether the generalisation of avoidance across Novel contexts is reduced after the differential reinforcement of competing behaviours
Afterwards, categorically related stimuli (GS1) were found to elicit relatively less avoidance in Novel contexts than in the original Acquisition context. These findings suggest that the differential reinforcement of competing behaviours might be a useful technique to mitigate generalised avoidance
Summary
Avoidance tendencies that persist in the absence of any physical or psychological threat can negatively impact psychosocial functioning and lead to psychopathology (Hayes et al, 1996; LeDoux et al, 2017; Vlaeyen & Linton, 2000, 2012). An individual with anxiety might avoid modes of transportation (e.g., a bus or train) after experiencing a traumatic ferry accident (Yule et al, 1990, 2000) Such avoidance stems from the spread of the effects of the direct conditioning history with an actual ferry to other related forms of travel and transportation via the conceptual or symbolic features of stimuli involved As a simple example, Durand and Carr (1991) identified students (diagnosed with neuro-developmental delay) whose problem behaviours were maintained by the escape from academic demands These authors demonstrated that selectively reinforcing alternative behavioural strategies to seek attention and academic support resulted in significant reductions in problem behaviours. This is an example of a Differential Reinforcement of Alternative (DRA) protocol (Durand & Carr, 1991)
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