OpenLB
Open Library of Bioscience
Advanced Search
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Mar, 2025;123 (2): 202-213.

Separate and combined effects of operant ABA renewal mitigation strategies.

Carlos Henrique Santos Silva, Valdeep Saini
Author Information
  1. Carlos Henrique Santos Silva: Brock University, Ontario, Canada. ORCID
  2. Valdeep Saini: Brock University, Ontario, Canada. ORCID
PMID: 40036670 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.70002

Abstract

Due to the undesirable effects of operant renewal for behavioral interventions, recent research has advocated for the advancement of renewal mitigation strategies. One strategy includes the use of extinction cues, which are stimuli used to establish discriminative control over responding in the second context that are subsequently transferred to the initial context. A second strategy involves context fading, which refers to progressively increasing the similarity between the second context and the initial context. The current study evaluated the separate and combined effects of these techniques using a preclinical human laboratory arrangement. Participants were exposed to the extinction cue strategy, the context fading strategy, both strategies, or neither strategy during a three-phase ABA renewal procedure using differential reinforcement of an alternative response combined with extinction. The results indicated that context fading or combining context fading with an extinction cue was effective at mitigating renewal. The use of an extinction cue alone reduced renewal relative to the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant. The results are discussed in terms of methodological and theoretical differences across strategies as well as implications for future research on renewal mitigation strategies.

Keywords

context context fading extinction cue human relapse renewal

References

  1. Bernal���Gamboa, R., Mason, T. A., Nieto, J., & G��mez, A. M. (2022). An analysis of extinction���cue features in the reduction of operant behavior relapse. The Psychological Record, 72, 65���73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-021-00472-z
  2. Berry, M. S., Sweeney, M. M., & Odum, A. L. (2014). Effects of baseline reinforcement rate on operant ABA and ABC renewal. Behavioral Processes, 108, 87���93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.09.009
  3. Bouton, M. E. (2002). Context, ambiguity, and unlearning: Sources of relapse after behavioral extinction. Biological Psychiatry, 52, 976���986. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(02)01546-9
  4. Bouton, M. E. (2019). Extinction of instrumental (operant) learning: Interference, varieties of context, and mechanisms of contextual control. Psychopharmacology, 236, 7���19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5076-4
  5. Bouton, M. E., Winterbauer, N. E., & Todd, T. P. (2012). Relapse processes after the extinction of instrumental learning: Renewal, resurgence, and reacquisition. Behavioral Processes, 90(1), 130���141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2012.03.004
  6. Cohen, J. (2016). A power primer. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Methodological issues and strategies in clinical research (4th ed., pp. 279���284). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14805-018
  7. DeHart, W. B., & Kaplan, B. A. (2019). Applying mixed���effects modeling to single���subject designs: An introduction. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 111(2), 192���206. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.507
  8. Dinsmoor J. A. (1995). Stimulus control: Part II. The Behavior Analyst, 18(2), 253���269. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392712
  9. Falligant, J. M., Chin, M. D., & Kurtz, P. F. (2022). Renewal and resurgence of severe problem behavior in an intensive outpatient setting: Prevalence, magnitude, and implications for practice. Behavioral Interventions, 37(3), 909���924. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1878
  10. Falligant, J. M., Kranak, M. P., McNulty, M. K., Schmidt, J. D., Hausman, N. L., & Rooker, G.W. (2021). Prevalence of renewal of problem behavior: Replication and extension to an inpatient setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(1), 367���373. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.740
  11. Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th Ed.). SAGE.
  12. Finch, K. R., Williams, C. L., & Kestner, K. M. (2022). ABA and ABC renewal during ongoing omission training. Psychological Record, 72, 1���21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-022-00524-y
  13. Fisher, W. W., Saini, V., Greer, B. D., Sullivan, W. E., Roane, H. S., Fuhrman, A. M., Craig, A.R., & Kimball, R. T. (2019). Baseline reinforcement rate and resurgence of destructive behavior. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 111(1), 75���93. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.488
  14. Greer, B. D., Fisher, W. W., Briggs, A. M., Lichtblau, K. R., Phillips, L. A., & Mitteer, D. R. (2019). Using schedule���correlated stimuli during functional communication training to promote the rapid transfer of treatment effects. Behavioral Development Bulletin, 24(2), 100���119. https://doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000085
  15. Halbur, M. E., Caldwell, R. K., & Kodak, T. (2021). Stimulus control research and practice: Considerations of stimulus disparity and salience for discrimination training. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(1), 272���282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00509-9
  16. Haney, S. D., Piazza, C. C., Peterson, K. M., & Greer, B. D. (2021). An evaluation of a renewal���mitigation procedure for inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(3), 903���927. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.815
  17. Iba��ez, V. F., Piazza, C. C., & Peterson, K. M. (2019). A translational evaluation of renewal of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52(4), 1005���1020. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.647
  18. Johnson, D. F., Kinder, B. N., & Scarboro, G. N. (1969). Determination of selective stimulus control by part of a compound S��. Psychonomic Science, 17, 7���8. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329138
  19. Kelley, M. E., Jimenez���Gomez, C., Podlesnik, C. A., & Morgan, A. (2018). Evaluation of renewal mitigation of negatively reinforced socially significant operant behavior. Learning and Motivation, 63, 133���141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2018.05.003
  20. Kimball, R. T., Greer, B. D., Fuhrman, A. M., & Lambert, J. M. (2023). Relapse and its mitigation: Toward behavioral inoculation. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.971
  21. Kimball, R. T., Greer, B. D., Randall, K. R., & Briggs, A. M. (2020). Investigations of operant ABA renewal during differential reinforcement. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 113(1), 187���205. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.577
  22. Kimball, R. T., & Kranak, M. P. (2022). Six things practitioners should know about renewal. Education and Treatment of Children, 45(4), 395���410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-022-00078-2
  23. Laborda, M. A., & Miller, R. R. (2013). Preventing return of fear in an animal model of anxiety: Additive effects of massive extinction and extinction in multiple contexts. Behavior Therapy, 44, 249���261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2012.11.001
  24. Mace, F. C., McComas, J. J., Mauro, B. C., Progar, P. R., Taylor, B., Ervin, R., & Zangrillo, A. N. (2010). Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior increases resistance to extinction: Clinical demonstration, animal modeling, and clinical test of one solution. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 93(3), 349���367. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.2010.93-349
  25. Martinez���Perez, C. N., Ritchey, C. M., Kuroda, T., & Podlesnik, C. A. (2022). Blackouts can serve as a contextual feature and enhance resurgence. Behavioural Processes, 195, Article 104587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104587
  26. Mitteer, D. R., Greer, B. D., Randall, K. R., & Haney, S. D. (2022). On the scope and characteristics of relapse when treating severe destructive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(3), 688���703. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.912
  27. Muething, C., Call, N., Pavlov, A., Ringdahl, J., Gillespie, S., Clark, S., & Mevers, J. L. (2020). Prevalence of renewal of problem behavior during context changes. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(3), 1485���1493. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.672
  28. Nieto, J., Uengoer, M., & Bernal���Gamboa, R. (2017). A reminder of extinction reduces relapse in an animal model of voluntary behavior. Learning & Memory, 24(2), 76���80. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.044495.116
  29. Nwobi, F., & Akanno, F. C. (2021). Power comparison of ANOVA and Kruskal���Wallis tests when error assumptions are violated. Advances in Methodology & Statistics, 18(2), 53���71. https://doi.org/10.51936/ltgt2135
  30. Perez, W. F., Endemann, P., Pess��a, C. V. B. B., & Tomanari, G. Y. (2015). Assessing stimulus control in a discrimination task with compound stimuli: Evaluating testing procedures and tracking eye fixations. The Psychological Record, 65(1), 83���88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-014-0092-1
  31. Podlesnik, C. A., & Kelley, M. E. (2015). Translational research on the relapse of operant behavior. Revista Mexicana de An��lisis de la Conducta, 41(2), 226���251. https://doi.org/10.5514/rmac.v41.i2.63774
  32. Podlesnik, C. A., Kelley, M. E., Jimenez���Gomez, C., & Bouton, M. E. (2017). Renewed behavior produced by context change and its implications for treatment maintenance: A review. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(3), 675���697. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.400
  33. Podlesnik, C. A., & Shahan, T. A. (2009). Behavioral momentum and relapse of extinguished operant responding. Learning & Behavior, 37, 357���364. https://doi.org/10.3758/LB.37.4.357
  34. Pritchard, D., Hoerger, M., Mace, F. C., Penney, H., Harris, B., & Eiri, L. (2016). Clinical translation of the ABA renewal model of treatment relapse. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 17(2), 182���191. https://doi.org/10.1080/15021149.2016.1251144
  35. Randall, K. R., Arthur, S. A., Williams, J. L., & Kimball, R. T. (2024). A preliminary investigation of eye���tracking software to inform an ABA renewal mitigation procedure. Learning and Motivation, 85, Article 101946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2023.101946
  36. Saini, V., & Mitteer, D. R. (2020). A review of investigations of operant renewal with human participants: Implications for theory and practice. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 113(1), 105���123. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.562
  37. Saini, V., Ritchey, C. M., & Podlesnik, C. A. (2024). An introduction to laboratory models of relapse for applied behavior analysis therapists and researchers. In H. S. Roane, A. R. Craig, V. Saini, & J. E. Ringdahl (Eds.), Behavior analysis: translational perspectives and clinical practice (pp. 536���572). Guilford Press.
  38. Saini, V., Sullivan, W. E., Baxter, E. L., DeRosa, N. M., & Roane, H. S. (2018). Renewal during functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(3), 603���619. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.471
  39. Schilmoeller, R. J., & Etzel, B. C. (1977). An experimental analysis of criterion and noncriterion���related cues in ���errorless��� stimulus control procedures. In B. C. Etzel, J. M. LeBlanc, & C. M. Baer (Eds.), New developments in behavioral research: Theory, method and application (pp. 317���348). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  40. Stoddard, L. T., & Sidman, M. (1967). The effects of errors on children's performance on a circle���ellipse discrimination. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 10(3), 261���270. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1967.10-261
  41. Stokes, T. F., & Osnes, P. G. (1989). An operant pursuit of generalization. Behavior Therapy, 20(3), 337���355. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(89)80054-1
  42. Sullivan, W. E., Saini, V., & Roane, H. S. (2018). A nonsequential approach to the study of operant renewal: A reverse translation. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 110(1), 74���86. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.456
  43. Thomas, B. L., Vurbic, D., & Novak, C. (2009). Extensive extinction in multiple contexts eliminates the renewal of conditioned fear in rats. Learning and Motivation, 40(2), 147���159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2008.10.002
  44. Trask, S., & Bouton, M. E. (2016). Discriminative properties of the reinforcer can be used to attenuate the renewal of extinguished operant behavior. Learning & Behavior, 44(2), 141���161. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-015-0195-9
  45. Willcocks, A. L., & McNally, G. P. (2014). An extinction retrieval cue attenuates renewal but not reacquisition of alcohol seeking. Behavioral Neuroscience, 128(1), 83���91. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035595

MeSH Term

Conditioning, Operant
Extinction, Psychological
Humans
Cues
Reinforcement, Psychology
Male
Female
Young Adult
Reinforcement Schedule
Adult
Adolescent
Journal Article

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0contextrenewalextinctionstrategiesstrategyfadingcueeffectsmitigationsecondcombinedoperantresearchusecontrolinitialusinghumanABAresultsDueundesirablebehavioralinterventionsrecentadvocatedadvancementOneincludescuesstimuliusedestablishdiscriminativerespondingsubsequentlytransferredinvolvesrefersprogressivelyincreasingsimilaritycurrentstudyevaluatedseparatetechniquespreclinicallaboratoryarrangementParticipantsexposedneitherthree-phaseproceduredifferentialreinforcementalternativeresponseindicatedcombiningeffectivemitigatingalonereducedrelativegroupdifferencestatisticallysignificantdiscussedtermsmethodologicaltheoreticaldifferencesacrosswellimplicationsfutureSeparaterelapse

Similar Articles

Cited By

No available data.