Retention of Massed vs Distributed Response-Prevention Treatments in Rats and a Revised Training Procedure

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to estimate the retention of response-prevention effects using massed vs distributed treatments in a model of animal avoidance-learning. In Exp. I, 120 rats were trained to avoid shock in a one-way platform avoidance apparatus. Groups received response-prevention treatment or nontreatment in a 36-min. massed session or in several sessions distributed over a four-day period. In Exp. II, 160 rats were given two trials of escape training in a one-way shuttle box. Groups received response-prevention treatment or nontreatment in a 24-min. session of massed or distributed treatments delivered in one day. Subjects in both studies were tested using a passive-avoidance paradigm immediately following treatment, 24 hours later, and 30 days later. Analysis showed that response-prevention treatments were effective in reducing avoidance behavior and there were no significant differences in retention of avoidance associated with massed vs distributed response-prevention treatments. Implications for animals and humans are discussed, and researchers are encouraged to change from a criterion training procedure to an escape procedure since the latter is a closer analogue to the human condition.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Baum

(1966) Rapid extinction of an avoidance response following a period of response prevention in the avoidance apparatus. Psychological Reports, 18, 59–64.

Baum

(1970) Extinction of avoidance responding through response prevention (flooding). Psychological Bulletin, 74, 276–284.

Baum

(1971) Comparison of flooding procedures in animals and man. Behavior Research and Therapy, 9, 249–254.

Baum

(1986a) An animal model for agoraphobia using a safety-signal analysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 24, 87–89.

Baum

(1986b) An animal model for situational panic attacks. Behavior Research and Therapy, 24, 509–512.

Baum

Andrus

Jacobs

W. J.

(1990) Extinction of a conditioned emotional response: massed and distributed exposures. Behavior Research and Therapy, 28, 63–68.

Baum

Myran

(1971) Response prevention (flooding) in rats: the effects of restricting exploration during flooding and massed vs distributed flooding. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 25, 138–146.

Benline

Simmel

(1967) Effects of blocking on the avoidance response on the elimination of the conditioned fear response. Psychonomic Science, 8, 357–358.

Berman

J. S.

Katzev

R. D.

(1972) Factors involved in the rapid elimination of avoidance behavior. Behavior Research and Therapy, 10, 247–256.

10.

Bond

(1984) Animal models in psychopathology: an introduction. In Bond

(Ed.), Animal models in psychopathology. New York: Academic Press. Pp. 1–21.

11.

Corriveau

D. P.

Smith

N. F.

(1978) Sear reduction and safety testing behavior following response prevention: a multivariate analysis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 107, 145–158.

12.

Coulter

Riccio

D. C.

Page

H. A.

(1969) Effects of blocking and instrumental avoidance response: facilitated extinction but persistence of “fear.” Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 68, 377–381.

13.

Foa

E. B.

Jameson

J. S.

Turner

R. M.

Payne

L. L.

(1980) Massed vs spaced exposure sessions in the treatment of agoraphobia. Behavior Research and Therapy, 18, 333–338.

14.

Gordon

Baum

(1987) Shuttle box avoidance in rats and response prevention (flooding): persistence of fear following reduced instrumental responding. Journal of General Psychology, 114, 263–272.

15.

Linton

Riccio

D. C.

Rohrbough

Page

H. A.

(1970) The effects of blocking and instrumental avoidance response: fear reduction or enhancement? Behavior Research and Therapy, 8, 267–272.

16.

Mineka

(1979) The role of fear in theories of avoidance learning, flooding and extinction. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 985–1010.

17.

Monti

Smith

(1976) Residual fear of conditioned stimulus as a function of response prevention or classical defense conditioning in the rat. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 105, 148–162.

18.

Neill

S. A.

(1980) The persistence of fear reduction resulting from response prevention. Unpublished master's thesis, Univer. of Rhode Island, RI.

19.

Neill

S. A.

(1982) The effects of delayed response prevention on fear reduction and enhancement. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of Rhode Island, RI.

20.

Neill

S. A.

Corriveau

D. P.

Smith

N. F.

(1980) Persistence of fear reduction resulting from response prevention. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.

21.

Neill

S. A.

Cottrill

S. D.

Smith

N. F.

(1982) Retention of fear and response prevention over 30 days in rats. Paper presented at the Eastern Psychological Association, Baltimore, MD.

22.

Ordman

A. M.

Kirschenbaum

D. S.

(1985) Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia: an initial outcome study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 305–313.

23.

Richardson

Riccio

D. C.

Ress

(1988) Extinction of avoidance through response prevention: enhancement by administration of epinephrine or ACTH. Behavior Research and Therapy, 26, 23–32.

24.

Rohrbaugh

Riccio

D. C.

(1970) Paradoxical enhancement of learned fear. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 75, 210–216.

25.

Rohrbaugh

Riccio

D. C.

Arthur

(1972) Paradoxical enhancement of conditioned suppression. Behavior Research and Therapy, 10, 125–130.

26.

Rossiter

E. M.

Wilson

G. T.

(1985) Cognitive restructuring and response prevention in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. Behavior Research and Therapy, 23, 349–359.

27.

Schiff

Smith

N. F.

Prochaska

(1972) Extinction of avoidance in rats as a function of duration and number of block trials. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 81, 356–359.