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Reinforcer value moderates response magnitude and persistence during extinction: A randomized trial
Joseph M Lambert1, Maria A Osina2, Bailey A Copeland1
1Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|June 3, 2024
Summary
Extinction bursts, temporary increases in behavior during extinction, can hinder interventions for challenging behavior. Understanding reinforcer consumption relative to demand intensity is key to mitigating these bursts.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Developmental disabilities research
- Applied behavior analysis
Background:
- Extinction bursts, characterized by temporary increases in behavior intensity during extinction, can impede the use of extinction-based interventions for severe challenging behaviors.
- Identifying the underlying behavioral mechanisms of response persistence and extinction bursts is crucial for developing effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of antecedent manipulations related to demand intensity and Pmax on target responding during extinction.
- To identify key behavioral economic parameters that affect response persistence and extinction bursts in adults with developmental disabilities.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2 factorial, crossed, randomized matched blocks design was employed with 69 adults with developmental disabilities.
- Distinct antecedent manipulations involving demand intensity and Pmax were systematically applied across four test groups.
- Target responding during extinction was evaluated to assess the impact of these manipulations.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in target responding were observed due to both demand intensity and Pmax manipulations.
- Variations in reinforcer consumption relative to demand intensity emerged as the most influential factor across all dependent variables.
- This suggests that the relationship between consumption and demand intensity significantly impacts extinction effects.
Conclusions:
- Reinforcer consumption relative to demand intensity plays a critical role in both mitigating and exacerbating adverse collateral extinction effects, such as extinction bursts.
- Understanding these preextinction factors is essential for refining intervention packages aimed at suppressing severe challenging behavior.
- The findings highlight the importance of behavioral economics principles in applied behavior analysis and intervention design.
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