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Updated: Sep 24, 2025
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Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats
Published on: March 17, 2019
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Quantifying increases in problem behavior following downshifts in reinforcement: A retrospective analysis and
John M Falligant1,2, Louis P Hagopian1,2, Michael P Kranak3,4
1Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|May 10, 2022
Summary
Resurgence, the return of previously eliminated behavior, increases with reduced reinforcement. This study confirms this pattern in clinical settings, supporting the Resurgence as Choice model for problem behavior during functional communication training.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Applied behavior analysis
Background:
- Resurgence is the return of previously eliminated behavior after reinforcement decreases.
- The Resurgence as Choice (RaC) model explains resurgence using principles of behavioral choice.
- Previous research shows resurgence increases exponentially with reduced reinforcement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate Shahan and Greer's (2021) findings on resurgence during schedule thinning after functional communication training (FCT).
- To examine resurgence of problem behavior in two new clinical datasets.
- To further validate the RaC model in clinical contexts.
Main Methods:
- Direct replication of analytic procedures from Shahan and Greer (2021).
- Analysis of two novel clinical datasets involving schedule thinning after FCT.
- Examination of problem behavior resurgence as a function of reinforcer availability decrements.
Main Results:
- Results closely replicated Shahan and Greer's findings.
- Resurgence of problem behavior increased exponentially with decreased reinforcer availability.
- The exponential relationship held true across two independent clinical datasets.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the generality of resurgence during reinforcement downshifts in clinical settings.
- The Resurgence as Choice model is applicable to understanding problem behavior during FCT schedule thinning.
- This research provides further evidence for the RaC model's utility in applied contexts.
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