ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to len... more ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to lengthy (5-sec) shock during avoidance response prevention. In Experiment 1, animals exposed to light only or to light-shock pairings during response prevention showed equal facilitation of extinction relative to shock-only animals or to animals receiving no response prevention. Preshock rearing, directly antagonistic to the avoidance response, developed for shocked animals during response prevention and persisted during extinction for light-shock animals. Immediately before extinction, half of each group was permitted a single escape from a light-shock compound by means of the response previously required for avoidance. The only effect was upon the extinction performance of light-shock animals. Rearing was eliminated and extinction responding increased to a level far above that for any of the other animals. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the shock-only treatment affected the extinction performance and rearing of nonescape and escape animals in a manner entirely equivalent to the effects of the light-shock treatment of Experiment 1, provided stimulus conditions (light absent) were the same for all experimental phases. Thus, lengthy shock during avoidance response prevention simultaneously leads to the acquisition of competing behavior and enhances control by a warning signal or contextual stimuli over the avoidance response. Implications for the CS-only response-prevention treatment and the transfer of aversive control are discussed.
Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing o... more Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing one of two available sets of math problems. Reinforcers (nickels) across these alternatives were arranged systematically in separate experimental phases according to three different concurrent variable-interval schedules (reinforcement ratios of 2:1, 6:1, and 12:1). Time allocated to the two stacks of math problems stood in linear relationship to the reinforcement rate obtained from each stack, although substantial undermatching and bias were observed for all subjects. However, changes in the schedules were not followed by changes in allocation patterns until adjunct procedures (e.g., changeover delays, limited holds, timers, and demonstrations) were introduced. The necessity of adjunct procedures in establishing matching in applied situations is discussed as a limitation to quantitative applications of the matching law in applied behavior analysis.
We summarize a series of bidirectional research studies that demonstrate the persistence-strength... more We summarize a series of bidirectional research studies that demonstrate the persistence-strengthening effects of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior on problem behavior. We model a possible solution to this problem with rats followed by replication with a human clinical population. The importance of coordinated basic and applied research to stimulate new behavioral technologies is emphasized.
ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to len... more ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to lengthy (5-sec) shock during avoidance response prevention. In Experiment 1, animals exposed to light only or to light-shock pairings during response prevention showed equal facilitation of extinction relative to shock-only animals or to animals receiving no response prevention. Preshock rearing, directly antagonistic to the avoidance response, developed for shocked animals during response prevention and persisted during extinction for light-shock animals. Immediately before extinction, half of each group was permitted a single escape from a light-shock compound by means of the response previously required for avoidance. The only effect was upon the extinction performance of light-shock animals. Rearing was eliminated and extinction responding increased to a level far above that for any of the other animals. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the shock-only treatment affected the extinction performance and rearing of nonescape and escape animals in a manner entirely equivalent to the effects of the light-shock treatment of Experiment 1, provided stimulus conditions (light absent) were the same for all experimental phases. Thus, lengthy shock during avoidance response prevention simultaneously leads to the acquisition of competing behavior and enhances control by a warning signal or contextual stimuli over the avoidance response. Implications for the CS-only response-prevention treatment and the transfer of aversive control are discussed.
Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing o... more Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing one of two available sets of math problems. Reinforcers (nickels) across these alternatives were arranged systematically in separate experimental phases according to three different concurrent variable-interval schedules (reinforcement ratios of 2:1, 6:1, and 12:1). Time allocated to the two stacks of math problems stood in linear relationship to the reinforcement rate obtained from each stack, although substantial undermatching and bias were observed for all subjects. However, changes in the schedules were not followed by changes in allocation patterns until adjunct procedures (e.g., changeover delays, limited holds, timers, and demonstrations) were introduced. The necessity of adjunct procedures in establishing matching in applied situations is discussed as a limitation to quantitative applications of the matching law in applied behavior analysis.
ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to len... more ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to lengthy (5-sec) shock during avoidance response prevention. In Experiment 1, animals exposed to light only or to light-shock pairings during response prevention showed equal facilitation of extinction relative to shock-only animals or to animals receiving no response prevention. Preshock rearing, directly antagonistic to the avoidance response, developed for shocked animals during response prevention and persisted during extinction for light-shock animals. Immediately before extinction, half of each group was permitted a single escape from a light-shock compound by means of the response previously required for avoidance. The only effect was upon the extinction performance of light-shock animals. Rearing was eliminated and extinction responding increased to a level far above that for any of the other animals. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the shock-only treatment affected the extinction performance and rearing of nonescape and escape animals in a manner entirely equivalent to the effects of the light-shock treatment of Experiment 1, provided stimulus conditions (light absent) were the same for all experimental phases. Thus, lengthy shock during avoidance response prevention simultaneously leads to the acquisition of competing behavior and enhances control by a warning signal or contextual stimuli over the avoidance response. Implications for the CS-only response-prevention treatment and the transfer of aversive control are discussed.
Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing o... more Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing one of two available sets of math problems. Reinforcers (nickels) across these alternatives were arranged systematically in separate experimental phases according to three different concurrent variable-interval schedules (reinforcement ratios of 2:1, 6:1, and 12:1). Time allocated to the two stacks of math problems stood in linear relationship to the reinforcement rate obtained from each stack, although substantial undermatching and bias were observed for all subjects. However, changes in the schedules were not followed by changes in allocation patterns until adjunct procedures (e.g., changeover delays, limited holds, timers, and demonstrations) were introduced. The necessity of adjunct procedures in establishing matching in applied situations is discussed as a limitation to quantitative applications of the matching law in applied behavior analysis.
We summarize a series of bidirectional research studies that demonstrate the persistence-strength... more We summarize a series of bidirectional research studies that demonstrate the persistence-strengthening effects of differential reinforcement of alternative behavior on problem behavior. We model a possible solution to this problem with rats followed by replication with a human clinical population. The importance of coordinated basic and applied research to stimulate new behavioral technologies is emphasized.
ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to len... more ABSTRACT Two experiments investigated the facilitation of avoidance extinction by exposure to lengthy (5-sec) shock during avoidance response prevention. In Experiment 1, animals exposed to light only or to light-shock pairings during response prevention showed equal facilitation of extinction relative to shock-only animals or to animals receiving no response prevention. Preshock rearing, directly antagonistic to the avoidance response, developed for shocked animals during response prevention and persisted during extinction for light-shock animals. Immediately before extinction, half of each group was permitted a single escape from a light-shock compound by means of the response previously required for avoidance. The only effect was upon the extinction performance of light-shock animals. Rearing was eliminated and extinction responding increased to a level far above that for any of the other animals. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the shock-only treatment affected the extinction performance and rearing of nonescape and escape animals in a manner entirely equivalent to the effects of the light-shock treatment of Experiment 1, provided stimulus conditions (light absent) were the same for all experimental phases. Thus, lengthy shock during avoidance response prevention simultaneously leads to the acquisition of competing behavior and enhances control by a warning signal or contextual stimuli over the avoidance response. Implications for the CS-only response-prevention treatment and the transfer of aversive control are discussed.
Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing o... more Three adolescent students with special educational needs were given a choice between completing one of two available sets of math problems. Reinforcers (nickels) across these alternatives were arranged systematically in separate experimental phases according to three different concurrent variable-interval schedules (reinforcement ratios of 2:1, 6:1, and 12:1). Time allocated to the two stacks of math problems stood in linear relationship to the reinforcement rate obtained from each stack, although substantial undermatching and bias were observed for all subjects. However, changes in the schedules were not followed by changes in allocation patterns until adjunct procedures (e.g., changeover delays, limited holds, timers, and demonstrations) were introduced. The necessity of adjunct procedures in establishing matching in applied situations is discussed as a limitation to quantitative applications of the matching law in applied behavior analysis.
Uploads