A Preclinical Evaluation of the Separate and Combined Effects of Context Fading and an Extinction Cue on Mitigating ABA Renewal

Abstract

ABA renewal as one type of behavioural relapse occurs when a behaviour successfully reduced in one context re-emerges when a previously experienced context is reintroduced. Due to the undesirable effects of renewal, mitigation strategies have been investigated. “Context fading” is one strategy in which the similarity between an intervention context and the context in which an intervention will be transferred is progressively increased. “Extinction cue” is another strategy and refers to the transfer of stimuli associated with an intervention to the context in which the intervention will be transferred to. In this translational investigation, we assessed the separate and combined effects of both mitigation strategies. Forty university students were divided in four groups and completed a computer task. In Phase 1, clicking in a rectangle during a blue background produced points. In Phase 2, the background changed to yellow, clicking on the rectangle was extinguished and dragging a circle into a dotted circle was reinforced. In Phase 3, the contingencies of Phase 2 remained, however, the background colour reverted to blue (as in Phase 1). The “Control Group” did not receive any mitigation strategy. The “Group Context Fading” was exposed to a gradual change in the background color from yellow to blue during Phase 2. The “Group Extinction Cue” was exposed to a red triangle inside the rectangle during Phase 2, which was transferred to Phase 3. The “Group Combined” received both strategies. Results showed a high degree of renewal in Control group. In contrast, Group Extinction cue produced smaller magnitude renewal. Both Context Fading and Combined groups did not show evidence for renewal. Results are discussed in terms of methodological differences in each strategy and practical recommendations for renewal mitigation in applied settings.