1
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Martinez-Perez CN, Ritchey CM, Gregory ME, Kuroda T, Gage NA, Podlesnik CA. A parametric manipulation and meta-analysis of target-response punishment on resurgence. J Exp Anal Behav 2024. [PMID: 39174322 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.4206] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Resurgence can be defined as increases in previously reinforced and subsequently extinguished target responding when conditions for an alternative response worsen. Worsening of alternative conditions, such as extinction, has been linked to relapse of clinically relevant behavior. Preclinical researchers have evaluated whether punishing target responses while differentially reinforcing an alternative response could reduce resurgence when conditions are worsened with extinction, with mixed results. In the present investigation, we systematically replicated this line of research with human participants recruited via crowdsourcing, using response cost as punishment. During Phase 1, we reinforced target responses with 100 points per delivery, exchangeable for money. During Phase 2, we reinforced alternative responses, discontinued point reinforcement for target responses, and parametrically manipulated across groups the magnitude of point loss (1, 100, 320, or 1,000 points) contingent on target responses. During Phase 3, we tested for resurgence by extinguishing target and alternative responses. Added punishment systematically decreased target responding during Phase 2 but did not influence resurgence during Phase 3. With a meta-analysis, we compared our findings with existing research examining a range of punishers and species. The results of the meta-analysis comport with the present findings, suggesting that the inclusion of punishment reduces target responding during DRA but, overall, has no systematic effects on resurgence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla N Martinez-Perez
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Carolyn M Ritchey
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Megan E Gregory
- College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Toshikazu Kuroda
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Seika, Japan
| | | | - Christopher A Podlesnik
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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2
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Shahan TA, Sutton GM, Avellaneda M. Resurgence mitigation across extended extinction following four and eight cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement. Behav Processes 2024; 220:105082. [PMID: 39069280 PMCID: PMC11317034 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105082] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Resurgence is an increase in an extinguished operant response resulting from a worsening of conditions (e.g., extinction) for a more recently reinforced alternative behavior. Previous research has shown that exposure to cycles of alternative reinforcement available versus unavailable (i.e., on/off alternative reinforcement) across sessions can reduce subsequent resurgence. Most previous assessments of the procedure have examined target operant responding during only single-session resurgence tests, and it remains unclear if exposure to relatively few cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement can maintain low rates of target behavior across extended exposure to extinction. This experiment with rats examined the effects of 4 or 8 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement on subsequent resurgence during a 10-session extinction test. The results show that exposure to 4 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement is as effective as 8 cycles in producing low rates of target behavior during treatment and across extended extinction. This result is consistent with extant theories of resurgence and suggests that on/off alternative reinforcement could have translational utility following relatively few cycles of exposure.
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3
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Smith SW, Arroyo Antúnez BE, DeBartelo J, Sullivan WE, Roane HS, Craig AR. Synthesized alternative reinforcement and resurgence. J Exp Anal Behav 2024. [PMID: 39086124 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.4202] [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: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
In treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, applied researchers and clinicians often provide multiple, qualitatively different reinforcers (i.e., synthesized reinforcement) rather than a single reinforcer (i.e., isolated reinforcement) contingent on alternative behavior. Some research shows that providing synthesized reinforcement for alternative responses within such treatments produces more rapid and complete suppression of target behavior; however, there is limited research evaluating the durability of these effects during treatment disruptions. Conceptual explanations of resurgence (e.g., resurgence as choice, context theory) suggest that treatments that include synthesized alternative reinforcement may lead to more resurgence of target behavior when alternative reinforcement is disrupted relative to treatments using isolated reinforcement. We evaluated this hypothesis within a three-phase resurgence evaluation. We exposed rats to isolated or synthesized reinforcement for alternative responding in the second phase, and we exposed rats to extinction in the third phase. Synthesized alternative reinforcement produced more rapid and complete suppression of target behavior than did isolated reinforcement in the second phase; however, exposure to extinction following synthesized reinforcement produced more resurgence. We discuss these results in terms of their implications for applied research and their support for current conceptual explanations for resurgence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean W Smith
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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4
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Greer BD, Shahan TA, Helvey CI, Fisher WW, Mitteer DR, Fuhrman AM. Resurgence of destructive behavior following decreases in alternative reinforcement: A prospective analysis. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:599-614. [PMID: 38742859 PMCID: PMC11260242 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1083] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Basic and retrospective translational research has shown that the magnitude of resurgence is determined by the size of the decrease in alternative reinforcement, with larger decreases producing more resurgence. However, this finding has not been evaluated prospectively with a clinical population. In Experiment 1, five participants experienced a fixed progression of reinforcement schedule-thinning steps during treatment of their destructive behavior. Resurgence occurred infrequently across steps and participants, and when resurgence did occur, its clinical meaningfulness was often minimal. In Experiment 2, five new participants experienced these same schedule-thinning steps but in a counterbalanced order. Resurgence occurred most often and was generally largest with larger decreases in alternative reinforcement programmed earlier in the evaluation. Large decreases in alternative reinforcement may be more problematic clinically when they occur earlier in treatment. Whether larger transitions can be recommended in the clinic following the success of smaller ones will require additional 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), Somerset, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | | | - Casey Irwin Helvey
- 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
| | - Wayne W. Fisher
- 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
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel R. Mitteer
- 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
| | - Ashley M. Fuhrman
- 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
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5
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Lambert JM, Osina MA, Copeland BA. Reinforcer value moderates response magnitude and persistence during extinction: A randomized trial. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:615-634. [PMID: 38825878 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1088] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Extinction bursts, or temporary increases in rates and intensities of behavior during extinction, can preclude the inclusion of extinction in intervention packages meant to suppress severe challenging behavior. To identify underlying behavioral mechanisms responsible for response persistence and bursting, 69 adults with developmental disabilities completed a low-stakes translational investigation employing a 2 × 2 factorial, crossed, and randomized matched blocks design, with batched randomization logic. In each of the four test groups, we made distinct antecedent manipulations with two value parameters commonly studied through behavioral economics (i.e., demand intensity, Pmax) and evaluated the extent to which each of these manipulations influenced target responding during extinction. Although we found statistically significant differences attributable to both parameters, variations in reinforcer consumption relative to demand intensity were most influential across all dependent variables. This outcome implicates consumption relative to demand intensity as both a mitigating and exacerbating preextinction factor that influences the prevalence of adverse collateral extinction effects (e.g., bursts).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Lambert
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maria A Osina
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bailey A Copeland
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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6
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MacNaul H, Cividini-Motta C, Randall K. Differential Reinforcement without Extinction: An Assessment of Sensitivity to and Effects of Reinforcer Parameter Manipulations. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:546. [PMID: 39062369 PMCID: PMC11274137 DOI: 10.3390/bs14070546] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Although functional communication training (FCT) usually includes extinction, withholding reinforcement is not possible or ethical with certain individuals, for some topographies of problem behavior, or in certain contexts. The current study evaluates the effects of two variations of FCT, both without extinction, on problem behavior and communication. Further, the intervention procedures were designed to evaluate participant reactivity to reinforcer parameters (e.g., magnitude, delay, and quality) in the context of the FCT variations. The parameter sensitivity assessments were effective at identifying relevant reinforcer parameters for each participant and both FCT interventions were effective in decreasing problem behavior and increasing communication for all participants. The results demonstrated that FCT was effective regardless of which reinforcer parameter was manipulated. Moreover, all sessions were conducted in participants' homes and caregivers reported high degrees of social validity for the intervention procedures and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah MacNaul
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Catia Cividini-Motta
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA;
| | - Kayla Randall
- Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA;
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7
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Craig AR, Smith SW, Nall RW, Sullivan WE, Roane HS. Abstinence as Choice: Exploring Voluntary Abstinence from Alcohol Self-Administration Using the Resurgence-as-Choice Framework. Perspect Behav Sci 2024; 47:335-363. [PMID: 39099746 PMCID: PMC11294306 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-024-00405-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Resurgence is an increase in the rate of a previously suppressed behavior that occurs when an alternative source of reinforcement is made worse in some way. The Resurgence as Choice model offers a quantitative approach to understanding resurgence that may provide important insights into the variables that affect this form of relapse in the natural environment. Bringing this model to bear on relapse following reinforcement-based interventions for alcohol and other substance use disorders, however, may not be straightforward. Laboratory work on which the Resurgence as Choice model is based has almost exclusively focused on resurgence following extinction of target behavior, but abstinence from alcohol during intervention is often voluntary: Patients may drink alcohol and forfeit therapeutic reinforcers at any time. In this article, we first will review recent data from our group that demonstrate a method for studying resurgence following voluntary abstinence from alcohol seeking in rats. In a previous experiment, we reduced rats' alcohol-maintained lever pressing to low levels without placing it on extinction by arranging nondrug differential reinforcement of other behavior. Further, when we suspended nondrug reinforcement, resurgence of lever pressing occurred. Next, we will explore methods for modeling these outcomes using the Resurgence-as-Choice framework. We conclude that the data under consideration may not be sufficient to discriminate between candidate models of resurgence following voluntary abstinence and point to areas for future empirical and theoretical development. This work may provide a stronger bridge between preclinical and conceptual work on resurgence and clinical treatments for alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Craig
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, 475 Irving Avenue, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202 USA
| | - Sean W. Smith
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, 475 Irving Avenue, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202 USA
| | | | - William E. Sullivan
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, 475 Irving Avenue, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202 USA
| | - Henry S. Roane
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, 475 Irving Avenue, Suite 300, Syracuse, NY 13202 USA
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8
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Craig AR, Agnew CN, Derrenbacker KE, Antúnez BA, Sullivan WE, Smith SW, DeBartelo J, Roane HS. Resurgence of ethanol seeking following voluntary abstinence produced by nondrug differential reinforcement of other behavior. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:314-326. [PMID: 38499477 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.909] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Resurgence refers to the relapse of a target behavior following the worsening of a source of alternative reinforcement that was made available during response elimination. Most laboratory analyses of resurgence have used a combination of extinction and alternative reinforcement to reduce target behavior. In contingency-management treatments for alcohol use disorder, however, alcohol use is not placed on extinction. Instead, participants voluntarily abstain from alcohol use to access nondrug alternative reinforcers. Inasmuch, additional laboratory research on resurgence following voluntary abstinence is warranted. The present experiment evaluated resurgence of rats' ethanol seeking following voluntary abstinence produced by differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Lever pressing produced ethanol reinforcers during baseline phases. During DRO phases, lever pressing continued to produce ethanol and food reinforcers were delivered according to resetting DRO schedules. Ethanol and food reinforcers were suspended during resurgence test phases to evaluate resurgence following voluntary abstinence. Lever pressing was elevated during baseline phases and occurred at near-zero rates during DRO phases. During the resurgence test phases, lever pressing increased, despite that it no longer produced ethanol. The procedure introduced here may help researchers better understand the variables that affect voluntary abstinence from ethanol seeking and resurgence following voluntary abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Craig
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Charlene N Agnew
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Kate E Derrenbacker
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Beatriz Arroyo Antúnez
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones en Comportamiento, Universidad de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - William E Sullivan
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Sean W Smith
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline DeBartelo
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Henry S Roane
- Golisano Center for Special Needs, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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9
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Van Allsburg J, Shahan TA. How do animals weigh conflicting information about reward sources over time? Comparing dynamic averaging models. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:11. [PMID: 38429608 PMCID: PMC10907467 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01840-2] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Optimal foraging theory suggests that animals make decisions which maximize their food intake per unit time when foraging, but the mechanisms animals use to track the value of behavioral alternatives and choose between them remain unclear. Several models for how animals integrate past experience have been suggested. However, these models make differential predictions for the occurrence of spontaneous recovery of choice: a behavioral phenomenon in which a hiatus from the experimental environment results in animals reverting to a behavioral allocation consistent with a reward distribution from the more distant past, rather than one consistent with their most recently experienced distribution. To explore this phenomenon and compare these models, three free-operant experiments with rats were conducted using a serial reversal design. In Phase 1, two responses (A and B) were baited with pellets on concurrent variable interval schedules, favoring option A. In Phase 2, lever baiting was reversed to favor option B. Rats then entered a delay period, where they were maintained at weight in their home cages and no experimental sessions took place. Following this delay, preference was assessed using initial responding in test sessions where levers were presented, but not baited. Models were compared in performance, including an exponentially weighted moving average, the Temporal Weighting Rule, and variants of these models. While the data provided strong evidence of spontaneous recovery of choice, the form and extent of recovery was inconsistent with the models under investigation. Potential interpretations are discussed in relation to both the decision rule and valuation functions employed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy A Shahan
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
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10
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Kranak MP, Brown KR. Updated Recommendations for Reinforcement Schedule Thinning following Functional Communication Training. Behav Anal Pract 2024; 17:87-106. [PMID: 38405284 PMCID: PMC10891008 DOI: 10.1007/s40617-023-00863-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Schedule thinning is a necessary treatment procedure following the acquisition of a communication response during functional communication training. In this article, we update and extend the Hagopian et al. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 4, 4-16, (2011) review and recommendations on schedule-thinning procedures following functional communication training. Since their publication, substantial research has been published on the efficacy, efficiency, and social validity of schedule-thinning methods. We provide updated recommendations for schedule thinning based on contemporary literature that has been published since 2011, as well as discuss key areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Kranak
- Oakland University, Rochester, MI USA
- Oakland University Center for Autism, Rochester, MI USA
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11
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King H, Martone L, Laureano B, Falligant JM. A systematic review of enhanced resurgence paradigms. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:266-278. [PMID: 38287780 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Following successful treatment in which problem behavior is reduced, it may reemerge as a function of changes in contextual stimuli or the worsening of reinforcement conditions for an alternative response. Although understudied, preliminary research suggests that simultaneous changes in contextual stimuli and reinforcement conditions may represent particularly exigent treatment challenges that create the condition for additive or superadditive relapse. The purpose of the present review was to systematically examine the relapse literature involving simultaneous changes in contextual stimuli and reinforcement conditions in relapse tests and experimental preparations arranged to evaluate their effect on response recovery. We identified 16 empirical articles spanning 27 experiments. Although all experiments included at least one condition that experienced a change in contextual stimuli and worsening of alternative reinforcement conditions, only two experiments included the comparison conditions needed to precisely evaluate additive and superadditive relapse. Our findings establish the preclinical generality of relapse effects associated with simultaneous changes to reinforcement conditions and contextual stimuli across a range of subjects, schedule arrangements, response topographies, reinforcers, and types of contextual changes. We make several recommendations for future research based on our findings from this nascent and clinically relevant subdomain of the relapse literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunter King
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lauren Martone
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brianna Laureano
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John Michael Falligant
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Becker AM, Kuhn RM, Pinkelman SE. Advancing and Integrating the Cusp Concept to Understand Behavioral Repertoire Dynamics. Perspect Behav Sci 2024; 47:29-54. [PMID: 38660500 PMCID: PMC11035530 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-023-00389-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The behavioral repertoire grows and develops through a lifetime in a manner intricately dependent on bidirectional connections between its current form and the shaping environment. Behavior analysis has discovered many of the key relationships that occur between repertoire elements that govern this constant metamorphosis, including the behavioral cusp: an event that triggers contact with new behavioral contingencies. The current literature already suggests possible integration of the behavioral cusp and related concepts into a wider understanding of behavioural development and cumulative learning. Here we share an attempted step in that progression: an approach to an in-depth characterization of the features and connections underlying cusp variety. We sketch this approach on the basis of differential involvement of contingency terms; the relevance to the cusp of environmental context, accompanying repertoire, or response properties; the connections of particular cusps to other behavioral principles, processes, or concepts; the involvement of co-evolving social repertoires undergoing mutual influence; and the ability of cusps to direct the repertoire either toward desired contingencies or away from a growth-stifling repertoire. We discuss the implications of the schema for expanded applied considerations, the programming of unique cusps, and the need for incorporating cultural context into the cusp. We hope that this schema could be a starting point, subject to empirical refinement, leading to an expanded understanding of repertoire interconnectivity and ontogenetic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M. Becker
- Department of Behavior Analysis, University of North Texas, 410 Avenue C, Denton, TX 76201 USA
| | - Robin M. Kuhn
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 USA
| | - Sarah E. Pinkelman
- Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI USA
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13
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Shahan TA, Sutton GM, Van Allsburg J, Avellaneda M, Greer BD. Resurgence Following Higher or Lower Quality Alternative Reinforcement. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:246-258. [PMID: 38329150 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.904] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Resurgence is a temporary increase in a previously suppressed target behavior following a worsening in reinforcement conditions. Previous studies have examined how higher rates or magnitudes of alternative reinforcement affect suppression of the target behavior and subsequent resurgence. However, there has been no investigation of the effects of higher versus lower qualities of alternative reinforcement on resurgence. Using a three-phase resurgence preparation with rats, the present experiments examined the effects of an alternative reinforcer that was of higher (Experiment 1) or lower (Experiment 2) quality than the reinforcer that had previously maintained the target behavior. The results of both experiments showed greater reductions in target behavior with a higher quality alternative reinforcer and larger increases in target responding when a higher quality alternative reinforcer was removed. Along with prior findings with higher rates and magnitudes of alternative reinforcement, these findings suggest that variations in reinforcer dimensions that increase the efficacy of alternative reinforcement also tend to increase resurgence when alternative reinforcement is removed. The results are discussed in terms of the resurgence as choice in context model and in terms of potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Brian D Greer
- 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
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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14
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Fujimaki S, Hu T, Kosaki Y. Resurgence of goal-directed actions and habits. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:97-107. [PMID: 37710380 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated how goal-directed and habitual behaviors recover after extinction within the context of the resurgence effect, a form of relapse induced by the removal or worsening of alternative reinforcement. Rats were trained to press a target lever with one reinforcer (O1) for either minimal (4) or extended (16) sessions. An extinction test after the completion of O1 devaluation confirmed that minimal and extended training formed goal-directed and habitual behaviors, respectively. Then, pressing an alternative lever was reinforced with a second reinforcer (O2) while the target response was placed on extinction. When O2 was discontinued, the minimally trained target response resurged with goal-directed status as in the extinction test. However, the extinguished habitual behavior in the extensively trained rats did not recover as a habit but instead with goal-directed status, possibly due to the context specificity of habits or the introduction of a new response-reinforcer contingency. The critical finding that reinforcer devaluation consistently led to less resurgence regardless of the amount of acquisition training provides a clinical implication that coupling differential-reinforcement-of-alternative-behavior (DRA) treatments with the devaluation of the associated reinforcer of problematic behavior could effectively diminish its recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ting Hu
- Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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15
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Craig AR. Resistance to change, of behavior and of theory. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 120:440-456. [PMID: 37526100 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of operant behavior when disrupted tends to be positively related to how often reinforcers were delivered in the past. Behavioral momentum theory describes this finding as the outcome of Pavlovian processes. That is, the relation between discriminative stimuli and reinforcers that were delivered in their presence strengthens behavior, thereby making it more likely to persist. If only the story were that simple. A growing number of findings challenge the basic tenets of behavioral momentum theory. Some even call into question whether Pavlovian relations contribute to persistence in the first place. In this paper, I will review behavioral momentum theory and some of the data that have been problematic for the theory. I will argue that despite these very real challenges, the theory provides important utility not only to basic analyses of response persistence but also to clinical interventions directed at long-term reductions in problem behavior. It, for example, has set the stage for the development of alternative conceptual analyses of resistance to change, two of which will be highlighted for readers. Moreover, behavioral momentum theory may tell us something important about the reasons it continues to have an influence on the field, despite the challenging data that deter it.
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16
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Nist AN, Shahan TA. Examining resurgence in rats following expanded-operant treatments. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 120:186-203. [PMID: 37337718 PMCID: PMC10721342 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Resurgence of previously reinforced behavior represents a challenge to otherwise successful interventions based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). Expanded-operant treatments seek to increase the number of functional alternative behaviors through DRA, thereby potentially mitigating resurgence. However, the few studies that have directly examined these methods as a tool for resurgence mitigation have provided limited and unclear results. Thus, the present experiments were designed to investigate the effect of expanded-operant DRA methods on resurgence of previously reinforced behavior using rat subjects. In two experiments, following a baseline phase in which a target response was trained, groups of rats experienced concurrent (i.e., five simultaneous alternative responses), serial (i.e., five sequentially available alternative responses), or single DRA interventions arranging similar rates of alternative reinforcement in order to examine potential differences in resurgence. Both experiments showed that neither serial nor concurrent DRA expanded-operant treatments reduced resurgence compared with single DRA regardless of whether stimuli associated with previously reinforced alternative responses were removed (Experiment 1) or remained present (Experiment 2) for the serial-DRA group. Further, a primacy effect in resurgence was obtained for the serial-DRA group in both experiments. Overall, these results suggest that expanded-operant treatments may not help to reduce resurgence.
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17
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Hagopian LP, Falligant JM. Application of the evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics to severe challenging behavior. J Appl Behav Anal 2023; 56:729-744. [PMID: 37614037 PMCID: PMC10591871 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1018] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics (ETBD) is a genetic algorithm that applies the Darwinian principles of evolutionary biology to model how behavior changes dynamically via selection by contingencies of reinforcement. The ETBD is a complexity theory where low-level rules of selection, reproduction, and mutation operate iteratively to animate "artificial organisms" that generate emergent outcomes. Numerous studies have demonstrated the ETBD can accurately model behavior of live animals in the laboratory, and it has been applied recently to model automatically maintained self-injury. The purpose of the current series of studies was to further extend the application of the ETBD to model additional functional classes of challenging behavior and clinical procedures. Outcomes obtained with artificial organisms generally corresponded well with outcomes observed with clinical cases sourced from consecutive controlled case series studies. Conceptual and methodological considerations on the application of the ETBD to model challenging behavior are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis P. Hagopian
- 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
| | - John Michael 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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18
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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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19
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Klapes B, Falligant JM, Hagopian LP. Modeling and quantifying resurgence in the Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics. Behav Processes 2023; 208:104860. [PMID: 36967093 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
McDowell's Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics (ETBD) has been shown to model a wide range of live organism behavior with excellent descriptive accuracy. Recently, artificial organisms (AOs) animated by the ETBD were shown to replicate the resurgence of a target response following downshifts in the density of reinforcement for an alternative response and across repeated iterations of the traditional three-phase resurgence paradigm in a manner commensurate with nonhuman subjects. In the current investigation, we successfully replicated an additional study that used this traditional three-phase resurgence paradigm with human participants. We fitted two models based on the Resurgence as Choice (RaC) theory to the data generated by the AOs. Because the models had varying numbers of free parameters, we used an information-theoretic approach to compare the models against one another. We found that a version of the Resurgence as Choice in Context model that incorporates aspects of Davison and colleague's Contingency Discriminability Model provided the best description of the resurgence data emitted by the AOs when accounting for the models' complexity. Last, we discuss considerations when developing and testing new quantitative models of resurgence that account for the ever-growing literature of resurgence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Klapes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia Campus, USA.
| | - John M Falligant
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Louis P Hagopian
- Department of Behavioral Psychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
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20
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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: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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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21
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Ritchey CM, Kuroda T, Podlesnik CA. A quantitative analysis of resurgence following downshifts in alternative-reinforcer magnitude. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 119:501-512. [PMID: 36919587 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.843] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Resurgence is the increase in a previously reinforced and then extinguished target response due to changes in reinforcement conditions for an alternative response, including reductions in the rate or magnitude of reinforcement for the alternative response. Research with nonhumans suggests that reductions in both alternative-reinforcer rate and magnitude produce resurgence, but the present study was the first to examine effects of downshifts in alternative-reinforcer magnitude on humans' resurgence. Moreover, it was the first to evaluate whether the quantitative framework, resurgence as choice in context (RaC2 ), could account for those effects. Consistent with predictions of RaC2 , resurgence of a target button press occurred with reductions in point gain for an alternative response, with greater reductions producing higher levels of resurgence. However, the model consistently underpredicted and then overpredicted resurgence during tests with low-magnitude reinforcement and extinction. Systematic deviations in model predictions of alternative responding were also evident and consistent with previous fits of RaC2 to nonhuman data. Overall, our findings suggest that RaC2 could be a useful quantitative theoretical framework for understanding processes contributing to resurgence in humans, but further theoretical development is needed to account for the apparent divergent effects of extinction versus downshifts in reinforcer magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M Ritchey
- Auburn University Ringgold standard institution-Psychological Sciences, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Toshikazu Kuroda
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International Ringgold standard institution, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
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22
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Podlesnik CA, Ritchey CM, Waits J, Gilroy SP. A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Procedures and Analyses Used in Basic and Preclinical Studies of Resurgence, 1970-2020. Perspect Behav Sci 2023; 46:137-184. [PMID: 37006602 PMCID: PMC10050505 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00361-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Resurgence is the return of a previously reinforced response as conditions worsen for an alternative response, such as the introduction of extinction, reductions in reinforcement, or punishment. As a procedure, resurgence has been used to model behavioral treatments and understand behavioral processes contributing both to relapse of problem behavior and flexibility during problem-solving. Identifying existing procedural and analytic methods arranged in basic/preclinical research could be used by basic and preclinical researchers to develop novel approaches to study resurgence, whereas translational and clinical researchers could identify potential approaches to combating relapse during behavioral interventions. Despite the study of resurgence for over half a century, there have been no systematic reviews of the basic/preclinical research on resurgence. To characterize the procedural and analytic methods used in basic/preclinical research on resurgence, we performed a systematic review consistent with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). We identified 120 articles consisting of 200 experiments that presented novel empirical research, examined operant behavior, and included standard elements of a resurgence procedure. We reported prevalence and trends in over 60 categories, including participant characteristics (e.g., species, sample size, disability), designs (e.g., single subject, group), procedural characteristics (e.g., responses, reinforcer types, control conditions), criteria defining resurgence (e.g., single test, multiple tests, relative to control), and analytic strategies (e.g., inferential statistics, quantitative analysis, visual inspection). We make some recommendations for future basic, preclinical, and clinical research based on our findings of this expanding literature. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40614-022-00361-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Podlesnik
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology Building, 945 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250 USA
| | | | - Jo Waits
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA USA
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23
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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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24
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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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25
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Assessing human performance during contingency changes and extinction tests in reversal-learning tasks. Learn Behav 2022; 50:494-508. [PMID: 35112316 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-022-00513-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Serial reversal-learning procedures are simple preparations that allow for a better understanding of how animals learn about environmental changes, including flexibly shifting responding to adapt to changing reinforcement contingencies. The present study examined serial reversal learning with humans by arranging both midsession and variable contingency reversals across two experiments. We also examined the effects of extinction by adding nonreinforced trials at the end of later sessions and provided the first evaluation of effects of win-stay/lose-shift versus counting strategies on accuracy and response latency of humans' reversal-learning performance. In each experiment, responding tracked contingency reversals, primarily with participants using either win-stay/lose-shift or counting strategies. Introducing variable reversal points in the second experiment resulted in near-exclusive win-stay/lose-shift responding among participants and eliminated counting of trials. Each experiment also revealed an immediate shift from S2 to S1 after experiencing extinction during the initial test trial, indicating resurgence of the initial response through a win-stay/lose-shift response pattern. Therefore, the present study replicates and extends prior findings of a win-stay/lose shift response pattern in situations of greater uncertainty. These findings suggest that differences in environmental certainty induce qualitatively different decision-making strategies.
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26
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Examining Resurgence and Repetition with the Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics. Behav Processes 2022; 203:104776. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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27
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Craig AR, Shahan TA. Nondrug reinforcers contingent on alternative behavior or abstinence increase resistance to extinction and reinstatement of ethanol-maintained behavior. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 118:353-375. [PMID: 36149379 PMCID: PMC9643639 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.801] [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: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The effects of delivering nondrug alternative reinforcement on resistance to extinction and reinstatement of rats' ethanol-maintained lever pressing were evaluated in two experiments. In both, rats self-administered ethanol by lever pressing in a two-component multiple schedule during baseline. In the Rich component, alternative food reinforcement was made available for performing an alternative response (Experiment 1) or according to a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior schedule for lever pressing (Experiment 2). In the Lean component, only ethanol was available. Moreover, the frequency of alternative reinforcement was manipulated across conditions in Experiment 1. Following baseline, lever pressing was extinguished in both components by suspending ethanol reinforcement, and alternative food reinforcers were discontinued. Finally, to test for reinstatement, ethanol reinforcers were delivered independently of lever pressing in both components. In both experiments, proportion-of-baseline response rates were higher during extinction and reinstatement testing in the Rich component than in the Lean component (although differentiation was not observed at the lowest frequency of alternative reinforcement in Experiment 1). Thus, alternative nondrug reinforcers increased resistance to extinction and reinstatement of rats' ethanol-maintained lever pressing, even when those reinforcers were delivered contingently on an alternative response or on abstinence from lever pressing.
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28
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Shahan TA. A Theory of the Extinction Burst. Perspect Behav Sci 2022; 45:495-519. [PMID: 36249175 PMCID: PMC9458838 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00340-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A preliminary theory of a temporary increase in the rate of an operant response with the transition to extinction (i.e., the extinction burst) is proposed. The theory assumes reinforcers are events permitting access to some valuable activity, and that such activity can compete for allocation with the target response under some conditions (e.g., very high reinforcement rates). With the transition to extinction, elimination of this competition for allocation can produce an increase in the the target response, but the increase is transient because the value of the target response decreases with exposure to extinction. The theory provides a way to understand why the extinction burst is not ubiquitous, seems more common following very small ratio schedules, occurs for a short period of time following the transition to extinction, and may be eliminated with the availability of alternative reinforcement. It appears to provide a reasonable starting point for a theory of the extinction burst that does not necessarily require inclusion of invigorating effects of frustration, and it is closely aligned with Resurgence as Choice theory. Additional research on factors modulating reinforcement-related activities and how they affect the extinction burst could help to further evaluate the theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Shahan
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, 2810 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84321-2810 USA
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29
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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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30
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Falligant JM, Hagopian LP, Kranak MP, Kurtz PF. Quantifying increases in problem behavior following downshifts in reinforcement: A retrospective analysis and replication. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 118:148-155. [PMID: 35534950 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The recurrence of a previously eliminated or reduced behavior following a downshift in alternative reinforcement is referred to as resurgence. Resurgence as Choice (RaC) is a quantitative model of behavioral persistence that posits that resurgence is governed by the same behavioral principles that underlie choice behavior. Consistent with the predictions of RaC, extant basic research with animals indicates that resurgence increases as an exponential function of the size of the downshift in alternative reinforcement. Recently, Shahan and Greer (2021) extended this finding to resurgence of problem behavior during schedule thinning following functional communication training (FCT). They found that when resurgence occurred, it increased exponentially as a function of relative decrements in reinforcer availability during schedule thinning with compound schedules of reinforcement. The purpose of the current study was to directly replicate the analytic procedures described in Shahan and Greer to examine resurgence of problem behavior during schedule thinning following FCT using two novel clinical datasets. Our results closely replicate the findings from Shahan and Greer, providing additional support for the generality of resurgence during downshifts in alternative reinforcement in clinical contexts. These results also highlight the potential applicability of RaC for modeling resurgence of problem behavior during FCT schedule thinning.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Falligant
- Kennedy Krieger Institute.,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Louis P Hagopian
- Kennedy Krieger Institute.,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | | | - Patricia F Kurtz
- Kennedy Krieger Institute.,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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31
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Keevy M, Bai JY, Ritchey CM, Podlesnik CA. Examining combinations of stimulus and contingency changes with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and pigeons. LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lmot.2022.101806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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32
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Podlesnik CA, Ritchey CM, Kuroda T, Cowie S. A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Alternative Reinforcement Rate and Magnitude on Resurgence. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104641. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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33
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Modeling resurgence with an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics. Behav Processes 2022; 197:104623. [PMID: 35318109 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
McDowell's (2004) Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics (ETBD) is a computational theory that has reproduced a wide variety of behavioral phenomena observed in material reality. Here, we extended the generality of the ETBD by successfully replicating laboratory studies of resurgence with live animals using artificial organisms (AOs) animated by the theory. We ran AOs on concurrent random-interval random-interval (conc RI RI) schedules of reinforcement wherein one alternative (i.e., a target behavior) was reinforced while the other alternative (i.e., an alternative behavior) was not reinforced. Then, we placed the target behavior on extinction and reinforced the alternative response, producing a shift in allocation of responding from the target behavior to the alternative response. Finally, schedule thinning of the alternative response (i.e., downshifts) resulted in resurgence of target behavior. Our findings indicated that resurgence increased as a function of the relative downshift in reinforcement rate and magnitude, replicating findings from previous studies with live animals. These results further illustrate the utility of the ETBD for generating dynamic behavioral data and serve as a proof-of-concept for a novel computational approach for studying and understanding resurgence in future studies.
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34
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Thrailkill EA, Alcalá JA. Relapse after incentivized choice treatment in humans: A laboratory model for studying behavior change. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:220-234. [PMID: 33507769 PMCID: PMC8363208 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Behavior change interventions that incentivize desired behavior are highly effective for improving personal health, but difficult to maintain long term. Relapse is common and examining the mechanisms that contribute to relapse in experimental settings can identify processes relevant to substance abuse treatment. We developed a laboratory task that parallels a recent operant model of relapse after incentivized choice reported in the rodent laboratory. In two experiments, undergraduate participants first learned to make an operant response (keyboard button; R1) to earn a reinforcer consisting of an image of a preferred snack food (O1). In a second phase (Phase 2), R1 was still reinforced, but a new response (R2) was introduced and reinforced with a different reinforcer (a coin; O2). In a test phase, contingent incentives for R2 were removed (extinction) and relapse of R1 was assessed. Experiment 1 found that the O2 contingency suppressed R1 during Phase 2, and R1 relapsed rapidly in the test. Neither effect was consistently related to O2 value. Experiment 2 examined whether noncontingent presentations of O1 or O2 during the test could weaken relapse. Here, we found that noncontingent reinforcers did little to reduce or slow the increase in R1 responding. The present experiments highlight a laboratory approach to studying variables that may influence relapse after incentivized treatment. We identify and discuss areas for development to address differences between the present results and prior observations from animal and clinical studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José A. Alcalá
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester,Department of Psychology, University of Jaén
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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: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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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36
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Haney SD, Greer BD, Mitteer DR, Randall KR. Relapse during the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. J Appl Behav Anal 2022; 55:704-726. [PMID: 35318658 PMCID: PMC10091143 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Resurgence and renewal are treatment-relapse phenomena in which previously extinguished behavior returns after the conditions for an alternative response worsen or the context changes, respectively. Recently, researchers have evaluated the prevalence of resurgence and renewal when treating destructive behavior with functional communication training. However, resurgence of inappropriate mealtime behavior has yet to be evaluated; perhaps because treatments involve qualitatively different resurgence opportunities (e.g., increased bite-presentation rate). We evaluated the prevalence of resurgence and renewal of inappropriate mealtime behavior across 22 and 25 applications of extinction-based treatments, respectively. Resurgence occurred in 41% (9/22) of applications, most often following presentation-rate increases. Renewal occurred in 52% (13/25) of applications, most often following feeder changes from therapist to caregiver. We discuss these findings in terms of their ability to inform relapse-mitigation strategies for resurgence and renewal of inappropriate mealtime behavior.
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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
| | - Daniel R Mitteer
- 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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Resurgence Increases with Repetition. Behav Processes 2022; 197:104620. [PMID: 35301067 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Resurgence refers to a behavioral process in which a recent response is extinguished (or reinforcement conditions worsen) and a previously extinguished response recurs. In previous research, resurgence has been reliably produced when the resurgence procedure is repeated. Changes in the degree of increase of the resurging response across iterations of the procedure have been inconsistent, however, with some studies showing increases and some showing no changes or decreases in resurgence magnitude. The present study examined the nature of resurgence across repeated iterations of the conventional resurgence procedure by exposing four pigeons to the resurgence procedure six times in succession. In the first condition of the resurgence procedure, pecks on one key (e.g., the left) were reinforced under a variable-interval (VI) 30-s schedule. In the second condition pecks on that key were extinguished, and pecks on another key (e.g., the right) were reinforced under the same schedule. In the final condition there were no programmed consequences for either response. Resurgence was observed in 21 of 24 opportunities (87.5%). Iteration-over-iteration increases in resurgence were observed in 15 of 20 opportunities (75.0%), and this increase was found to be statistically significant. These findings demonstrate that, under certain conditions, resurgence generally increases in magnitude with repeated exposure to the procedures that generate it.
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Browning KO, Sutton GM, Nist AN, Shahan TA. The effects of large, small, and thinning magnitudes of alternative reinforcement on resurgence. Behav Processes 2022; 195:104586. [PMID: 35065243 PMCID: PMC8816858 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Resurgence refers to an increase of a previously reinforced target behavior following the worsening of conditions for a more recently reinforced alternative behavior. There is evidence to suggest that alternative reinforcers of greater magnitude are more effective at reducing target responding but may also result in more resurgence when removed. Similar effects have been observed with high rates of alternative reinforcement. However, in clinical settings, reinforcement rate thinning is used to reduce the likelihood of resurgence associated with higher rates of alternative reinforcement. Given the clinical importance of alternative reinforcer magnitude, it is necessary to evaluate how reinforcer magnitude thinning may impact resurgence as well. Following Phase 1 in which target responding was reinforced, rats earned either large (six pellets), small (one pellet), or thinned (reduced from six pellets to one across sessions) magnitude reinforcement for alternative responding during target-response extinction in Phase 2. Then, alternative responding was placed on extinction for all groups in Phase 3. Target responding was comparably elevated at the end of Phase 2 for groups Small and Thin compared to group Large. In Phase 3, resurgence was evident only in group Large but target responding remained relatively elevated in groups Small and Thin. These results provide additional evidence of the important interplay between conditions of alternative reinforcement and the persistence and resurgence of target responding.
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Martinez-Perez CN, Ritchey CM, Kuroda T, Podlesnik CA. Blackouts can serve as a contextual feature and enhance resurgence. Behav Processes 2022; 195:104587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Banks ML, Hutsell BA, Negus SS. Contextual extinction of drug-associated discriminative stimuli fails to attenuate drug-vs-food choice in rhesus monkeys. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:505-517. [PMID: 34990015 PMCID: PMC9090942 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.734] [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: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Relapse within the context of a substance use disorder can be triggered by cues that function as discriminative stimuli to signal contingencies of drug availability and promote drug-taking behavior. Extinction procedures can weaken this association between drug-associated cues and drug-taking behavior and may reduce the probability of relapse. This study evaluated a regimen of extinction training on cocaine and heroin self-administration in rhesus monkeys under a drug-vs-food choice procedure. Behavior was initially maintained under a concurrent schedule of food (1-g food pellets; fixed-ratio 100 schedule) and cocaine injections (0-0.1 mg/kg/injection; fixed-ratio 10) (n = 4 males) or heroin injections (0-0.01 mg/kg/injection; fixed-ratio 10) (n = 3 females and 1 male) during daily 2-hr choice sessions. Subsequently, choice sessions were supplemented by daily 20-hr saline self-administration sessions for 14 consecutive days. During saline self-administration sessions, only drug-associated discriminative stimuli were presented and responding produced saline injections. Drug continued to be available during choice sessions. Prior to extinction training, both cocaine and heroin maintained dose-dependent increases in drug-vs-food choice. Exposure to 14 saline self-administration sessions failed to significantly decrease drug choice and increase food choice. These preclinical results do not support the effectiveness of extinguishing drug-associated discriminative stimuli as a nonpharmacological treatment strategy for reducing drug choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Blake A Hutsell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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41
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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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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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43
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Kranak MP, Falligant JM. Analysis of terminal schedule probes and schedule thinning effects following functional communication training. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael P. Kranak
- Department of Human Development and Child Studies Oakland University Rochester Michigan USA
- Oakland University Center for Autism Rochester Michigan USA
| | - John Michael Falligant
- Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore Maryland USA
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
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Ritchey CM, Mizutani Y, Kuroda T, Gilroy S, Podlesnik CA. Examining effects of training duration on humans' resurgence and variability using a novel touchscreen procedure. J Exp Anal Behav 2021; 116:344-358. [PMID: 34554575 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Resurgence occurs when a previously reinforced and then extinguished target response increases due to reducing/eliminating an alternative source of reinforcement or punishing an alternative response. We evaluated whether duration of reinforcement history for a target response (1) affects the degree to which resurgence is observed in humans and (2) produces different gradients of response generalization around target responding during extinction testing. We arranged a novel touchscreen interface in which university students could swipe a 3D soccer ball to spin any direction. In Phase 1, the first direction swiped became the target and produced points exchangeable for money for 3 or 1 min across 2 groups. The first swipe was recorded but had no programmed consequence in a third group. In Phase 2, swipes 180-degrees from the target resulted in points for 3 min in all groups. Point deliveries ceased for 2 min to test for resurgence in Phase 3. Target responses resurged during testing to a relatively greater extent with longer Phase-1 training but gradients of response generalization did not differ among groups. These findings extend prior research on the role of training duration on resurgence. We discuss methodological and conceptual issues surrounding the assessment of response generalization in resurgence.
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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: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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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Kronfli FR, Lloveras LA, Vollmer TR. Applications of the matching law to observe shifts in problem behavior: A proof‐of‐concept study. BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bin.1810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Faris R. Kronfli
- Department of Psychology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
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Bouton ME, Maren S, McNally GP. BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF PAVLOVIAN AND INSTRUMENTAL EXTINCTION LEARNING. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:611-681. [PMID: 32970967 PMCID: PMC8428921 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the behavioral neuroscience of extinction, the phenomenon in which a behavior that has been acquired through Pavlovian or instrumental (operant) learning decreases in strength when the outcome that reinforced it is removed. Behavioral research indicates that neither Pavlovian nor operant extinction depends substantially on erasure of the original learning but instead depends on new inhibitory learning that is primarily expressed in the context in which it is learned, as exemplified by the renewal effect. Although the nature of the inhibition may differ in Pavlovian and operant extinction, in either case the decline in responding may depend on both generalization decrement and the correction of prediction error. At the neural level, Pavlovian extinction requires a tripartite neural circuit involving the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala is essential for extinction learning, and prefrontal cortical inhibition of amygdala neurons encoding fear memories is involved in extinction retrieval. Hippocampal-prefrontal circuits mediate fear relapse phenomena, including renewal. Instrumental extinction involves distinct ensembles in corticostriatal, striatopallidal, and striatohypothalamic circuits as well as their thalamic returns for inhibitory (extinction) and excitatory (renewal and other relapse phenomena) control over operant responding. The field has made significant progress in recent decades, although a fully integrated biobehavioral understanding still awaits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Bouton
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gavan P McNally
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Fuhrman AM, Fisher WW, Greer BD, Shahan TA, Craig AR. Resurgence Following Traditional and Interdependent Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior. BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT BULLETIN 2021; 26:29-42. [PMID: 34594471 PMCID: PMC8478277 DOI: 10.1037/bdb0000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Clinicians frequently prescribe functional communication training (FCT) as a treatment for severe destructive behavior. Recent research has shown that FCT treatments are susceptible to treatment relapse in the form of resurgence of destructive behavior when individuals contact periods in which reinforcers are unavailable. Results of preliminary studies suggest that teaching multiple response alternatives can mitigate the resurgence of target behavior. The current evaluation serves as a preliminary study in which we used a laboratory arrangement to evaluate the effects of a novel approach to training multiple alternative responses on the resurgence of target behavior. Findings showed that multiple-response training did not decrease resurgence of target responding consistently; however, it increased the total amount of target and alternative responding observed during the resurgence phase and decreased the overall probability of the target response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Fuhrman
- Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES)
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
| | - Wayne W. Fisher
- 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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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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50
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Lay BPP, Khoo SYS. Associative processes in addiction relapse models: A review of their Pavlovian and instrumental mechanisms, history, and terminology. NEUROANATOMY AND BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.35430/nab.2021.e18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of relapse to drug-seeking have borrowed heavily from associative learning approaches. In studies of relapse-like behaviour, animals learn to self-administer drugs then receive a period of extinction during which they learn to inhibit the operant response. Several triggers can produce a recovery of responding which form the basis of a variety of models. These include the passage of time (spontaneous recovery), drug availability (rapid reacquisition), extinction of an alternative response (resurgence), context change (renewal), drug priming, stress, and cues (reinstatement). In most cases, the behavioural processes driving extinction and recovery in operant drug self-administration studies are similar to those in the Pavlovian and behavioural literature, such as context effects. However, reinstatement in addiction studies have several differences with Pavlovian reinstatement, which have emerged over several decades, in experimental procedures, associative mechanisms, and terminology. Interestingly, in cue-induced reinstatement, drug-paired cues that are present during acquisition are omitted during lever extinction. The unextinguished drug-paired cue may limit the model’s translational relevance to cue exposure therapy and renders its underlying associative mechanisms ambiguous. We review major behavioural theories that explain recovery phenomena, with a particular focus on cue-induced reinstatement because it is a widely used model in addiction. We argue that cue-induced reinstatement may be explained by a combination of behavioural processes, including reacquisition of conditioned reinforcement and Pavlovian to Instrumental Transfer. While there are important differences between addiction studies and the behavioural literature in terminology and procedures, it is clear that understanding associative learning processes is essential for studying relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Po Pyn Lay
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology/Groupe de Recherche en Neurobiologie Comportementale, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Shaun Yon-Seng Khoo
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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