Effects of Differential Rates of Alternative Reinforcement on Resurgence of Human Behavior: A Translational Model of Relapse in the Anxiety Disorders

Brooke M. Smith, graduate student in the Combined Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychology program at Utah State University, proposed and completed this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Master of Science in Psychology. Anxiety disorders are the most common psychological disorders in the world, and they place a substantial burden on society. Although successful psychological treatments for anxiety are available, many people still experience relapse once treatment ends. When consequences that follow a behavior increase its future probability, this is termed “reinforcement.” One common treatment approach for anxiety is to attempt to decrease problematic behavior, such as avoidance, by decreasing its reinforcement, while at the same time increasing reinforcement for healthy replacement behaviors. A phenomenon that basic researchers have used to study relapse in animals is known as “resurgence.” Resurgence occurs when reinforcement of a problem behavior is removed and an alternative behavior is taught. When reinforcement for the alternative behavior is also removed, the original problem behavior tends to relapse. Previous research with nonhumans has shown that the more frequently reinforcement is delivered for an alternative behavior, the greater relapse a subject will experience if that reinforcement eventually becomes unavailable. This could be counterintuitive to clinicians treating anxiety. However, this aspect of resurgence has yet to be shown in typically developing humans. The current study investigated the effects of high and low rates of alternative reinforcement on the elimination and relapse of a target behavior in typically developing humans using a computerized task. Three groups received three different rates of reinforcement for an alternative behavior, and resurgence was tested. Results suggest that target behavior decreased the most quickly and completely in those who received higher rates of reinforcement, but this also resulted in more relapse once reinforcement was removed. The implications for the treatment of anxiety disorders and future research directions are discussed