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Laureano B, Ringdahl J, Falligant JM. Examination of clinical variables affecting resurgence: A reanalysis of 46 applications. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:742-750. [PMID: 38808478 PMCID: PMC11260239 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Despite the efficacy of behavioral interventions, resurgence of challenging behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injury) following successful treatment can still occur. Applied work has focused on identifying treatment-related variables thought to affect the occurrence and magnitude of resurgence. The current study describes the relation between several variables (i.e., phase duration, response rates in baseline and treatment, obtained rates of reinforcement, downshift in reinforcement step size) and resurgence in a retrospective consecutive controlled case series of 46 treatment applications for challenging behavior conducted in an inpatient setting. Only the downshift in reinforcement (e.g., schedule-thinning) step size was correlated with the magnitude of resurgence. These results are consistent with recent findings suggesting that treatment duration and other factors have inconsistent effects on resurgence of challenging behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Laureano
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joel Ringdahl
- Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - John M. Falligant
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2
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Irwin Helvey C, Fisher WW, Greer BD, Fuhrman AM, Mitteer DR. Resurgence of destructive behavior following differential rates of alternative reinforcement. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:804-815. [PMID: 37477560 PMCID: PMC10592362 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral momentum theory (BMT) suggests that resurgence of destructive behavior may be at least partly determined by the rate of alternative reinforcement, with lean schedules of reinforcement producing less resurgence than dense schedules. Findings from basic and translational studies have been mixed, and the effects of alternative reinforcement rate on resurgence remain unclear. In the current study, we conducted a within-subject evaluation of resurgence during extinction with four children following functional communication training using dense and lean (BMT-informed) schedules of alternative reinforcement. We observed no reliable differences in resurgence across the dense and lean conditions. We discuss implications of these findings in relation to future research using quantitative analyses to evaluate the relative effects of alternative reinforcement rate and other BMT-based strategies for mitigating resurgence in applied settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Irwin Helvey
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA
| | - Wayne W. Fisher
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Daniel R. Mitteer
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA
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3
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Laureano B, Falligant JM. Modeling Behavioral Persistence with Resurgence as Choice in Context (RaC 2): A Tutorial. Behav Anal Pract 2023; 16:640-651. [PMID: 37187845 PMCID: PMC10170016 DOI: 10.1007/s40617-023-00796-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Resurgence as Choice in Context (RaC2) is a quantitative model for evaluating the reemergence of a previously extinguished response when alternative reinforcement is worsened. Rooted in the matching law, RaC2 proposes that allocation between target and alternative responding is based on changes in the relative value of each response option over time, accounting for periods with and without alternative reinforcement. Given that practitioners and applied researchers may have limited experience with constructing quantitative models, we provide a step-by-step task analysis for building RaC2 using Microsoft Excel 2013. We also provide a few basic learning activities to help readers better understand RaC2 itself, the variables that affect the model's predictions, and the clinical implications of those predictions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-023-00796-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Laureano
- Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - John Michael Falligant
- Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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4
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Kimball RT, Greer BD, Fuhrman AM, Lambert JM. Relapse and its mitigation: Toward behavioral inoculation. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:282-301. [PMID: 36715533 PMCID: PMC10121865 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Relapse following the successful treatment of problem behavior can increase the likelihood of injury and the need for more intensive care. Current research offers some predictions of how treatment procedures may contribute to relapse, and conversely, how the risk of relapse can be mitigated. This review describes relapse-mitigation procedures with varying levels of support, the quantitative models that have influenced the research on relapse mitigation, different experimental methods for measuring relapse mitigation, and directions for future research. We propose that by viewing the implementation of relapse-mitigation procedures as a means of producing behavioral inoculation, clinicians are placed in the proactive and intentional role of exposing their client's behavior to an array of reinforcement and stimulus conditions during treatment with the goal of decreasing the detrimental impact of future treatment challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T. Kimball
- Department of Counseling and Applied Behavioral Studies, University of Saint Joseph
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Ashley M. Fuhrman
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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5
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Kimball RT, Salvetti EL, Day LE, Karis R, Silveira J, Kranak MP. Operant ABA renewal during dense and lean schedules of differential reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 119:529-538. [PMID: 36945863 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Renewal is a type of relapse that occurs due to a change in context. Previous research has demonstrated that renewal of target responding may occur despite the availability of differential reinforcement for an alternative response (DRA). Nevertheless, the current literature on renewal presents mixed findings regarding the effects of dense and lean schedules of DRA on the magnitude of renewal. We used a translational approach with undergraduate college students and a task on a touchscreen tablet device to study the effects of dense and lean schedules of DRA during repeated renewal tests. All participants experienced two, three-phase ABA renewal arrangements. In the dense and lean renewal arrangements, we differentially reinforced alternative behavior in Context B and the renewal test in Context A on a VI 3-s or a VI 12-s schedule, respectively. Overall, we observed renewal in 31/36 (86%) renewal tests regardless of the density of reinforcement for the alternative response. Furthermore, the results showed that although renewal occurred in both arrangements, we found slightly higher magnitudes of renewal during DRA with lean schedules of reinforcement relative to dense schedules. We discuss the implications of these findings as they relate to the treatment of problem behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily L Salvetti
- University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha, NE, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michael P Kranak
- Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
- Oakland University Center for Autism, Rochester, MI, USA
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6
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Greer BD, Shahan TA, Fisher WW, Mitteer DR, Fuhrman AM. Further evaluation of treatment duration on the resurgence of destructive behavior. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:166-180. [PMID: 36203259 PMCID: PMC9868049 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Translation of promising procedures for mitigating treatment relapse has received considerable attention recently from researchers across the basic-applied continuum. One procedure that has demonstrated mixed support involves increasing the duration of treatment as a strategy for blunting resurgence. In a recent translational study, Greer et al. (2020) failed to detect a mitigation effect of increased treatment duration on the resurgence of destructive behavior. However, design limitations may have been responsible. The present study corrected these limitations by (a) employing a sequential design to decrease the possibility of multiple-treatment interference, (b) evaluating more treatment durations, (c) arranging treatments of fixed durations, and (d) conducting treatments of more extreme duration in a different clinical sample. Despite these improvements in experimental rigor and the testing of more extreme boundary conditions, the present study also failed to detect a mitigation effect of increased treatment duration. Likely explanations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Greer
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | | | - Wayne W. Fisher
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Daniel R. Mitteer
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Ashley M. Fuhrman
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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7
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Fisher WW, Greer BD, Shahan TA, Norris HM. Basic and applied research on extinction bursts. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:4-28. [PMID: 36193974 PMCID: PMC9868065 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Discontinuation of the contingency between a response and its reinforcer sometimes produces a temporary increase in the response before its rate decreases, a phenomenon called the extinction burst. Prior clinical and basic studies on the prevalence of the extinction burst provide highly disparate estimates. Existing theories on the extinction burst fail to account for the dynamic nature of this phenomenon, and the basic behavioral processes that control response bursting remain poorly understood. In this paper, we first review the basic and applied literature on the extinction burst. We then describe a recent refinement of the concatenated matching law called the temporally weighted matching law that appears to resolve the above-mentioned issues regarding the extinction burst. We present illustrative translational data based conceptually on the model. Finally, we discuss specific recommendations derived from the temporally weighted matching law regarding procedures clinicians could implement to potentially mitigate or prevent extinction bursts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne W. Fisher
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
- Department of PediatricsRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | | | - Halle M. Norris
- Children's Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services
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8
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Greer BD, Fisher WW, Fuhrman AM, Mitteer DR. Conducting Translational Research in the Context of Patient Care. Perspect Behav Sci 2022; 45:383-398. [PMID: 35719871 PMCID: PMC9163257 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00333-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although much has been written on the importance of translational research for bridging the continuum of basic science to clinical practice, few authors have described how such work can be carried out practically when working with patient populations in the context of ongoing clinical service delivery, where the priorities for patient care can sometimes conflict with the methods and goals of translational research. In this article, we explore some of the considerations for conducting this type of work while balancing clinical responsibilities that ensure high-quality patient care. We also discuss strategies we have found to jointly facilitate translational research and improve routine, clinical service delivery. A primary goal of this article is to encourage others working in applied settings to contribute to the increasingly important role that translational research plays in our science and practice by helping to better characterize and potentially lessen or remove barriers that may have impeded such investigations in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Greer
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ USA
| | - Wayne W. Fisher
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ USA
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9
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Translating Quantitative Theories of Behavior into Improved Clinical Treatments for Problem Behavior. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104639. [PMID: 35405305 PMCID: PMC10088503 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The most important advancement in the treatment of destructive behavior has been the development of the functional analysis, which is used to prescribe effective treatments like functional communication training. Although this approach can be highly effective, extinction bursts and forms of treatment relapse commonly occur when function-based treatments are implemented by caregivers in natural community settings. In recent years, researchers have increasingly applied quantitative theories of behavior like behavioral momentum theory (BMT) and the temporally weighted matching law (TWML) to understand, prevent, or mitigate extinction bursts and treatment relapse. In this paper, we describe BMT and TWML and selectively review the basic, translational, and applied research supporting and opposing each theory. Then, we describe how function-based treatments may be refined based on these theories to improve the effectiveness, generality, and durability of function-based treatments for individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders who display problem behavior.
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10
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Falligant JM, Chin MD, Kurtz PF. Renewal and resurgence of severe problem behavior in an intensive outpatient setting: Prevalence, magnitude, and implications for practice. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John M. Falligant
- Department of Behavioral Psychology Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore Maryland USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Michelle D. Chin
- Department of Behavioral Psychology Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Patricia F. Kurtz
- Department of Behavioral Psychology Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore Maryland USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
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11
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Mitteer DR, Greer BD, Randall KR, Haney SD. On the scope and characteristics of relapse when treating severe destructive behavior. J Appl Behav Anal 2022; 55:688-703. [PMID: 35290666 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prior studies on treatment relapse have typically examined the prevalence of resurgence or renewal of target behavior (e.g., destructive behavior) in isolation. This study analyzed both types of relapse during 25 consecutive treatments involving functional communication training during worsening reinforcement conditions for alternative behavior (i.e., schedule thinning) or following context changes. We also examined disruption of alternative behavior (i.e., functional communication requests, compliance). Resurgence and renewal of destructive behavior occurred in 76% and 69% of treatments, respectively, and in approximately a third of changes in reinforcement or context. Relapse of destructive behavior predicted alternative-response disruption and vice versa; the co-occurrence of these two events always exceeded the background probabilities of either event occurring in isolation. General reductions in treatment efficacy occurred across changes in reinforcement or context, with no apparent decrease in likelihood in later transitions. We discuss implications of our findings with respect to future studies examining treatment durability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Mitteer
- Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES).,Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Brian D Greer
- Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES).,Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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12
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Smith SW, Greer BD. Phase duration and resurgence. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:91-104. [PMID: 34762309 PMCID: PMC8908731 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Resurgence, the recurrence of responding due to a worsening of reinforcement conditions for current behavior, is a prevalent form of treatment relapse. Resurgence as Choice in Context predicts that increasing the duration of exposure to reinforcement for target responding during Phase 1 will increase resurgence magnitude, whereas increasing the duration of exposure to reinforcement for alternative responding and extinction for target responding during Phase 2 will decrease resurgence magnitude. We conducted an experiment evaluating these predictions with human participants recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. We varied Phase 1 and Phase 2 durations across 4 experimental groups. Resurgence as Choice in Context successfully predicted the differences in resurgence magnitude across these groups, and fitting the quantitative model to the obtained data yielded an exceptional coefficient of determination. We discuss the implications of these results for using Resurgence as Choice in Context to inform experiments with human participants and the feasibility of using human-operant preparations to evaluate resurgence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean W. Smith
- Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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13
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Jarmolowicz DP, Greer BD, Killeen PR, Huskinson SL. Applied Quantitative Analysis of Behavior: What It Is, and Why We Care-Introduction to the Special Section. Perspect Behav Sci 2021; 44:503-516. [PMID: 35098022 PMCID: PMC8738785 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-021-00323-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Science evolves from prior approximations of its current form. Interest in changes in species over time was not a new concept when Darwin made his famous voyage to the Galapagos Islands; concern with speciation stretches back throughout the history of modern thought. Behavioral science also does and must evolve. Such change can be difficult, but it can also yield great dividends. The focus of the current special section is on a common mutation that appears to have emerged across these areas and the critical features that define an emerging research area-applied quantitative analysis of behavior (AQAB). In this introduction to the "Special Issue on Applications of Quantitative Methods," we will outline some of the common characteristics of research in this area, an exercise that will surely be outdated as the research area continues to progress. In doing so, we also describe how AQAB is relevant to theory, behavioral pharmacology, applied behavior analysis, and health behaviors. Finally, we provide a summary for the articles that appear in this special issue. The authors of these papers are all thinking outside the Skinner box, creating new tools and approaches, and testing them against relevant data. If we can keep up this evolution of methods and ideas, behavior analysis will regain its place at the head of the table!
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Affiliation(s)
- David P. Jarmolowicz
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA
- Healthcare Institute for Improvements in Quality (Hi -IQ), University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO USA
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Severe Behavior Program, Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES), Somerset, NJ USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ USA
| | - Peter R. Killeen
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Sally L. Huskinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS USA
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14
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Mitteer DR, Greer BD, Randall KR, Kimball RT, Smith SW. Empirically Deriving Omission and Commission Errors for Relapse Tests: A Demonstration of Reverse Translation. BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2021; 21:351-363. [PMID: 35005218 DOI: 10.1037/bar0000218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Most studies examine treatment relapse by programming contextual changes with perfect treatment integrity or with omission errors in the absence of a context change (i.e., all alternative responses placed on extinction). Recently, Mitteer et al. (2018) examined caregiver behavior in response to a confederate playing the role of a child with destructive behavior, providing the opportunity for researchers to empirically derive reinforcement schedules and test caregiver error patterns within future relapse tests with children. The present study represents a pilot demonstration of methods for reverse translating findings from caregivers to relapse preparations with children. We used a human-operant arrangement with three children with autism spectrum disorder in which they (a) emitted a target response (i.e., pad touch) for a preferred item in a home-like context, (b) emitted an alternative response (e.g., card touch) for the item in a clinic context while the target response was extinguished, and (c) experienced a relapse test in which the experimenter programmed the same low-rate omission and commission errors that caregivers made in the prior study within the home-like context. During the relapse test, target responding approximated or exceeded baseline ranges for all cases, and alternative behavior extinguished for two of the three cases. We discuss how researchers might incorporate similar translation processes in future relapse research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian D Greer
- Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES).,Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Kayla R Randall
- University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute
| | | | - Sean W Smith
- University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute
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15
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Shahan TA, Greer BD. Destructive behavior increases as a function of reductions in alternative reinforcement during schedule thinning: A retrospective quantitative analysis. J Exp Anal Behav 2021; 116:243-248. [PMID: 34219242 PMCID: PMC8491516 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The behavioral processes determining the magnitude of the resurgence of destructive behavior during reinforcement schedule thinning have yet to be described, despite an uptick in prevalence research on the topic. As predicted by Resurgence as Choice theory, recent animal research has found that resurgence increases with the magnitude of a downshift in alternative reinforcement. Here we reanalyze the data from 2 recent prevalence studies to determine whether the size of the decrease in alternative reinforcement availability predicts the magnitude of resurgence in the clinic. Results from this retrospective analysis suggest that resurgence of destructive behavior increases significantly with decreases in the availability of alternative reinforcement. Implications for future research and translations of theoretical analyses to the clinic are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian D. Greer
- Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
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16
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Examination of alternative-response discrimination training and resurgence in rats. Learn Behav 2021; 49:379-396. [PMID: 33772464 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-021-00470-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Resurgence is an increase in a previously reinforced behavior following a worsening of conditions for a more recently reinforced behavior. Discrimination training is incorporated into treatment for problem behavior to prevent treatment adherence failures that may result in resurgence. There is evidence that resurgence may be reduced when a stimulus that signals alternative-response extinction is present compared with absent; however, the generality of this effect is unknown given the limited testing conditions. The goal of the present experiments was to further examine the effects of such stimuli in a reverse-translational evaluation using rats. Target responding was reinforced in baseline and then placed on extinction in the following discrimination-training phase. An alternative response was differentially reinforced in a two-component multiple schedule where one stimulus (i.e., SD) signaled alternative-response reinforcement and the other (i.e., SΔ) signaled extinction. Experiment 1 assessed resurgence in both the SΔ and SD when alternative reinforcement was removed. Experiment 2 evaluated resurgence under conditions that better approximated those used in the clinic in which the alternative-response SΔ was present or absent. The SΔ failed to suppress target responding during resurgence testing in both experiments. These findings suggest that the conditions under which an alternative-response SΔ will successfully mitigate resurgence may be limited and require further research.
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Fuhrman AM, Lambert JM, Greer BD. A Brief Review of Expanded-Operant Treatments for Mitigating Resurgence. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2021; 72:319-323. [DOI: 10.1007/s40732-021-00456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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18
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Craig AR, Sullivan WE, Derrenbacker K, Rimal A, DeRosa NM, Roane HS. An evaluation of resurgence in mice. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Muething C, Pavlov A, Call N, Ringdahl J, Gillespie S. Prevalence of resurgence during thinning of multiple schedules of reinforcement following functional communication training. J Appl Behav Anal 2020; 54:813-823. [DOI: 10.1002/jaba.791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Colin Muething
- Marcus Autism Center Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Alexis Pavlov
- Marcus Autism Center Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Nathan Call
- Marcus Autism Center Emory University School of Medicine
| | - Joel Ringdahl
- Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research University of Georgia
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Brown KR, Greer BD, Craig AR, Sullivan WE, Fisher WW, Roane HS. Resurgence following differential reinforcement of alternative behavior implemented with and without extinction. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 113:449-467. [PMID: 32133673 PMCID: PMC8111434 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In the clinic, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) often involves programming extinction for destructive behavior while reinforcing an alternative form of communication (e.g., a functional communication response); however, implementing extinction can be unsafe or impractical under some circumstances. Quantitative theories of resurgence (i.e., Behavioral Momentum Theory and Resurgence as Choice) predict differences in the efficacy of treatments that do and do not involve extinction of target responding when reinforcement conditions maintaining alternative responding worsen. We tested these predictions by examining resurgence following two DRA conditions in which we equated rates of reinforcement. In DRA without extinction, target and alternative behavior produced reinforcement. In DRA with extinction plus noncontingent reinforcement, only alternative behavior produced reinforcement. We conducted this study in a reverse-translation sequence, first with participants who engaged in destructive behavior (Experiment 1) and then in a laboratory setting with rats (Experiment 2). Across both experiments, we observed proportionally lower levels of target responding during and following the DRA condition that arranged extinction for the target response. However, levels of resurgence were similar following both arrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian D. Greer
- University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute
| | | | | | - Wayne W. Fisher
- University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute
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