Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

A Polished and Reinforced Thinned-skull Window for Long-term Imaging of the Mouse Brain
Published on: March 7, 2012
Prevalence of resurgence of destructive behavior when thinning reinforcement schedules during functional
Adam M Briggs1, Wayne W Fisher1, Brian D Greer1
1University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute.
Abstract:
Functional communication training is a well-established treatment for socially reinforced destructive behavior that typically includes differential reinforcement of the functional communication response (FCR) in combination with extinction of destructive behavior. However, when the schedule of reinforcement for the FCR is thinned, destructive behavior may resurge (e.g., Greer, Fisher, Saini, Owen, & Jones, 2016). Currently, data are unavailable on the prevalence and characteristics of resurgence during reinforcement schedule thinning. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of resurgence during reinforcement schedule thinning on a per-case and per-schedule-step basis and also evaluated the magnitude of resurgence in relation to the functions of destructive behavior. We observed resurgence in 19 of the 25 (76%) applications of reinforcement schedule thinning. In some cases, the magnitude of resurgence exceeded the mean levels of destructive behavior observed in baseline. We discuss these results relative to prior translational and applied research on resurgence.
More Related Videos
08:47Functional Imaging with Reinforcement, Eyetracking, and Physiological Monitoring
Published on: November 13, 2008
07:50A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training
Published on: January 29, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Reinforcement Schedules
Once a behavior is learned,...
Communication
Communication
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...
What is Behavior?
Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example: