RESURGENCE OF MANDS FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING.

Area of Science:

• Behavior Analysis
• Developmental Disabilities
• Applied Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Resurgence is the reappearance of previously extinguished behavior.
• Functional communication training (FCT) is used to decrease problem behavior.
• Understanding resurgence is crucial for effective behavior modification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the resurgence of mands in humans with developmental disabilities.
• To examine the effects of extinction and FCT on mand resurgence.
• To investigate the resurgence of problem behavior.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted using conditions similar to Lieving and Lattal (2003).
• Participants with developmental disabilities were trained on two mands from the same operant class.
• Mands were placed on extinction, followed by FCT for weaker mands, and then re-extinction.

Main Results:

• Both trained mands persisted during initial extinction, showing differential response strength.
• Resurgence of the alternative mand occurred in all participants.
• Resurgence of problem behavior occurred in participants with a history of such behavior.

Conclusions:

• Extinction alone may not prevent the resurgence of mands.
• Functional communication training may inadvertently set the stage for resurgence.
• Further research is needed to refine extinction and FCT protocols to mitigate resurgence.