Discriminative Properties of Reinforcers Modulate Resurgence: Evidence from a Systematic Review

Various theoretical frameworks explain the behavioral mechanisms underlying resurgence, each offering distinct predictions about the conditions that may either promote or mitigate its occurrence. One framework centers on a contextual account of resurgence, which posits the discriminative properties of reinforcers modulate relapse based on their prior association with response establishment and elimination contingencies. A growing body of basic and translational research supports this contextual account. In this review, we systematically examined the resurgence literature involving studies in which authors employed a three-phase arrangement: an initial reinforcement phase with one set of reinforcers was introduced for the target response, a second phase in which a different set of reinforcers was introduced for an alternative response, and a final phase where both reinforcers were delivered on a response-independent schedule. Six studies spanning seven highly technical experiments with human and non-human participants were included and summarized with respect to participant and setting characteristics, experimental designs, reinforcement schedules, and the effect of reinforcer type on relapse outcomes. Findings offer preliminary evidence that the discriminative properties of reinforcers modulate resurgence. We provide several recommendations for future basic and translational research on the contextual account of resurgence, with a particular emphasis on incentivized choice paradigms, the discriminatory properties and effects of digital versus physical reinforcers, and applications to function-informed interventions.