Studying habit acquisition with an avoidance learning task

Afiliaciones: Universidad de Málaga and Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Spain Universidad de Málaga, Spain University of Leuven, BelgiumThe study of habit acquisition and expression is considered relevant to improve our understanding of mental disorders characterised by the presence of compulsive or incontrollable behaviours. Most studies on habit learning, both in animals and in humans, are based on positive reinforcement paradigms. However, the compulsions and habits involved in some mental disorders may be better understood as avoidance behaviours, which involve some peculiarities such as anxiety states that have been shown to promote habitual responses. Consequently, we studied habit acquisition by using a free-operant discriminated avoidance procedure. Participants learned to avoid an aversive noise presented either to the right or to the left ear by pressing two different keys. After a devaluation phase where participants could reduce the volume of the noise presented to one of the ears, participants went through a test phase identical to the avoidance learning phase except for the fact that the noise was never administered. Habit acquisition was inferred by comparing the rate of responses to the stimulus signalling the devalued reinforcer and to the stimulus signalling the non-devalued reinforcer. Habitual responses would entail the absence of differences between the referred conditions. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and clinical implications of the results obtained.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Slowed reacquisition of a previously extinguished response: the effect of partial extinction in human contingency learning

Extinction is a very relevant learning phenomenon from an applied and theoretical point of view. Extinction-based therapies constitute the most widespread empirically validated treatment of anxiety disorders. However, they face an important limitation, as relapse often takes place once the extinction procedure has been completed. We provide the first demonstration of relapse reduction, a slowed reacquisition, in human contingency learning after a partial extinction procedure using mild aversive stimuli. This effect was specific of the partial extinction treatment (i.e., reinforced trials were occasionally experienced during extinction; Experiment 1) and not only due to differences in uncertainty levels between the partial and a standard extinction group (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 explored conditions in which partial extinction was complete, while the slowed reacquisition effect was still obtained. Potential uses of this strategy in anxiety disorders therapies, its theoretical explanation and its current limitations are discussed.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Slower Reacquisition After Partial Extinction in Human Contingency Learning

Extinction is a very relevant learning phenomenon from a theoretical and applied point of view. One of its most relevant features is that relapse phenomena often take place once the extinction training has been completed. Accordingly, as extinction-based therapies constitute the most widespread empirically validated treatment of anxiety disorders, one of their most important limitations is this potential relapse. We provide the first demonstration of relapse reduction in human contingency learning using mild aversive stimuli. This effect was found after partial extinction (i.e., reinforced trials were occasionally experienced during extinction, Experiment 1) and progressive extinction treatments (Experiment 3), and it was not only because of differences in uncertainty levels between the partial and a standard extinction group (Experiment 2). The theoretical explanation of these results, the potential uses of this strategy in applied situations, and its current limitations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Recor