Transitions from avoidance: Reinforcing competing behaviors reduces generalized avoidance in new contexts

Generalized avoidance behaviors are a common diagnostic feature of anxiety-related disorders and a barrier to affecting changes in anxiety during therapy. However, strategies to mitigate generalized avoidance are under-investigated. Even less attention is given to reducing the category-based generalization of avoidance. We therefore investigated the potential of an operant-based approach. Specifically, it was examined if reinforcing competing (non-avoidance) behaviors to threat-predictive cues would interfere with expression of generalized 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 behaviors were reinforced in response to the CS1 in new contexts. Lastly, we tested for the generalization of avoidance to another member of the stimulus category (generalization stimulus; GS1) in both a Novel context and the Acquisition context. The selective generalization of avoidance to GS1 was observed, but only in the Acquisition context. In the Novel context, the generalization of avoidance to GSs was significantly reduced. A comparison group (Experiment 2), which did not learn any competing behaviors, avoided GS1 in both contexts. These findings suggest that reinforcing competing behavioral responses to threat-predictive cues can lead to reductions in generalized avoidance. This study is among the first study to demonstrate sustained reductions in generalized avoidance resulting from operant-based protocols, and the clinical and research implications are discussed.