The transfer of avoidance evoking functions through stimulus equivalence classes

Fear Generalization in Humans: Systematic Review and Implications for Anxiety Disorder Research

“…While there is evidence for perceptual generalization of avoidance (Lommen et al, 2010;van Meurs et al, 2014), extending the analysis of symbolic generalization to include instances of avoidance is important in developing contemporary accounts of the emergence of clinical anxiety (Field, 2006;Friman, Hayes, & Wilson, 1998;Mineka & Zinbarg, 2006;Rachman, 1977). The first supporting evidence for this approach comes from Augustson and Dougher (1997), who trained and tested participants for the formation of two, four-member stimulus equivalence relations (A1-B1-C1-D1 and A2-B2-C2-D2) and then used a differential fear conditioning procedure to establish B1 as CS+ and BS as CS-, respectively. During a subsequent avoidance-training phase, shock could be avoided by completing a fixed-ratio (FR) 20-response requirement in the presence of B1, while shock was never scheduled to follow presentations of B2.…”

“…Findings showed that all eight participants emitted the avoidance response to C1 and D1 but not to C2 and D2, indicating that they transferred the directly trained avoidance schedule response from B1 to the symbolically related C1 and D1 stimuli without further training. Augustson and Dougher (1997) were the first to show the symbolic-based generalized avoidance of stimuli that had no direct relational history with aversive events. Since then, Dymond, Schlund, Roche, Whelan, Richards, and Davies (2011) have extended these findings with a larger sample size to a similar operant avoidance paradigm involving aversive images and sounds as USs, while Dymond, Schlund, Roche, De Houwer, and Freegard (2012) showed that levels of symbolic generalization resemble those seen when avoidance is acquired indirectly, such as through verbal instructions (Rachman, 1977).…”

A Derived Relations Analysis of Approach-Avoidance Conflict: Implications for the Behavioral Analysis of Human Anxiety

“…In the second study, Auguston and Dougher (1997) trained 8 participants i n the formation of t wo 4-member equ iva lence relations (A-B-C-D). next, 1 member of one of the equivalence classes (B1) was established as a discriminative stimulus for avoidance.…”

Derived Avoidance Learning: Transformation of Avoidance Response Functions in Accordance with Same and Opposite Relational Frames

“…in one well-cited demonstration of a transformation of avoidance functions, Augustson and Dougher (1997) first trained and tested participants for the emergence of two four-member equivalence relations (i.e., A1-B1-c1-D1 and A2-B2-c2-D2). Using a baseline Pavlovian conditioning procedure, one member of one class was paired with shock (B1) while one member of the other class was presented without shock (B2).…”

“…thus, there are likely many more ways for derived avoidance responses to emerge in the world outside the laboratory than those highlighted by Augustson and Dougher (1997). Several studies conducted under the rubric of relational frame theory have since provided evidence that it is possible for human participants to respond in accordance with relations other than equivalence, such as same and opposite (e.g., Dymond & Barnes, 1996;roche & Barnes, 1997;Steele & Hayes, 1991;Whelan & Barnes-Holmes, 2004).…”