Fading to increase heterosexual responsiveness in homosexuals.

Three adult men watched slides. Male and female images were layered on top of each other. Over trials the male picture slowly faded out until only the female picture stayed.

The team used an ABAB design. They added fading, removed it, then added it back. Arousal was measured each phase.

When the male slide faded out, all three men showed more arousal to the female slide. When fading stopped, arousal dropped. It rose again when fading returned.

No shocks or drugs were used. Just changing the picture mix shifted the response.

Kelly et al. (1970) did the same trick with pigeons. They faded a bright line so an overlooked sound could control pecking. The lab result came first; H et al. showed it works for people and sexual cues.

Fovel et al. (1989) later used fading to give profoundly disabled adults voice control. Both studies move control from one sense channel to another, proving the tactic travels beyond birds.

Kozlowski et al. (2024) swapped spoons instead of slides. They faded from finger-feeding to utensil-feeding in kids with autism. Same rule: start with what already works, then slowly trade it for the new form.

You can transfer stimulus control without punishment or escape extinction. Whether you want a child to accept a spoon, respond to a spoken word, or shift any reflexive response, layer the new cue over the old one and fade. Try it next session: keep the reinforcer the same, just change how it looks or sounds across trials.