Transitions from avoidance: Reinforcing competing behaviours reduces generalised avoidance in new contexts.

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 Ac

SUBMITTER: Bennett MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7672781 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature