Date of Award
8-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Psychological Science
Program
Psychological Science (MS)
First Advisor/Chairperson
Dr. Cory Toegel
Abstract
Renewal occurs when a previously suppressed behavior returns to relatively high rates following a change in the prevailing environment. The present study evaluated effects of three arrangements of context fading on renewal that manipulated the number of contexts in the Suppression Phase and their similarity to the contexts in the Acquisition and Test Phases using a three-phase design within a human operant laboratory. In the Acquisition Phase, participants clicked a target response option on a computer screen with a black background to produce monetary reinforcers according to a variable interval 12-s (VI 12-s) schedule of reinforcement. A separate context, different for each experimental group, was paired with the Suppression phase, and target responding no longer produced reinforcement. In the Test Phase, the reinforcement schedule remains suspended, and the black background color previously paired with reinforcement returns. Experimental groups included Standard A-B-A, Blocked Fade-In, Gradual Fade-In, and Gradual Fade-In Novel, and they differed in stimulus conditions present during the Suppression Phase. The Gradual Fade-In group had significantly lower absolute target response rates, smaller difference in the relative target response rate between the end of the Suppression Phase and the Test Phase, and fewer bins of renewal at the beginning of the Test Phase. This study gives further insight on context fading as a potential renewal mitigation technique.
Recommended Citation
Markofski, Nicole, "Effects of Gradual, Blocked, and Novel Context Fading on Operant Renewal in Humans" (2026). All NMU Master's Theses. 933.
https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/933
Access Type
Open Access
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