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| Evaluating the Effects of Reinforcer Dimensions on Resurgence |
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 |
| 10:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 151 AB |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Kyleigh Montague (University of Florida) |
| Discussant: Michael Kranak (Oakland University) |
| CE Instructor: Michael Kranak, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Resurgence is the re-emergence of a previously extinguished behavior when reinforcement conditions for an alternative response worsen. This phenomenon highlights factors influencing dynamic behavior change and behavioral flexibility, playing a role in adaptive patterns like foraging and problem-solving, along with contributing to relapse in clinical interventions. In this symposium, presenters explore the effects of various reinforcer dimensions contributing to resurgence. The first presentation investigates whether delays to reinforcement alone are sufficient to produce resurgence with rats, clarifying previous findings that did not directly control for decreases in reinforcer rate with increasing delays. The second presentation examines the impact of increases in alternative reinforcer delay or decreases in alternative reinforcer rate on resurgence, providing insights into the effects of reinforcer thinning and informing practical applications. The third presentation evaluates the influence of delivering two qualitatively distinct reinforcers simultaneously versus delivering a single reinforcer on resurgence, discussing implications of the findings for future translational and applied research. The final presentation addresses how physical effort associated with accessing alternative reinforcement affects resurgence in a preclinical arrangement with humans. Collectively, these studies offer important theoretical and practical implications for the development of more robust behavioral interventions aimed at mitigating relapse or promoting behavioral flexibility. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Reinforcer dimensions, Relapse, Resurgence |
| Target Audience: This symposium is most suited for individuals who are currently enrolled in or recently completed graduate-level work in behavior analysis. |
Learning Objectives: 1. describe how downshifts in alternative reinforcer magnitude contribute to resurgence
2. describe how increases in delay to alternative reinforcement influence resurgence
3. describe how increased physical effort associated with accessing alternative reinforcement affects resurgence |
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| Isolating the Effect of Delay on Resurgence: A Replication of Jarmolowicz & Lattal |
| (Basic Research) |
| JULIAN CAMILO VELASQUEZ (University of Guadalajara), Carlos Javier Flores Aguirre (Universidad de Guadalajara), Everardo Enrique Durán (Universidad de Guadalajara), Ana Sofia Flores (Universidad de Guadalajara), Eduardo Meza (Universidad de Guadalajara), Carlos de Anda (Universidad de Guadalajara), L. Rebeca Mateos Morfin (Universidad de Guadalajara) |
| Abstract: Resurgence of a previously extinguished response is said to occur when alternative conditions are worsened. Jarmolowicz and Lattal (2014) showed that delayed alternative reinforcement could serve as a worsening condition to produce resurgence, but it is unclear if the recurrence obtained was solely an effect of delay or both increase of delay and decrease of reinforcement rate. The aim of this study was to explore resurgence under delayed reinforcement without affecting the reinforcement rate. The Replication group experienced worsening with increasing delays (FT-Xs) across sessions added to the unchanged schedule of alternative reinforcement (IV-30s). The Only Delay group experienced both increasing delays and adjustments to frequency of alternative reinforcement (IV-Xs + FT-Xs) across sessions to equally maintain the reinforcement rate across sessions. Resurgence was observed in both groups. The present findings suggest that delay of reinforcement is a sufficient condition for developing resurgence, clarifying previous findings that did not directly control the decrease in rate of reinforcement yielded with increasing delays. |
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| A Comparison of Resurgence Following Shifts in Alternative Reinforcer Magnitude and Delay in Rats |
| (Basic Research) |
| RUSTY W. NALL (Jacksonville State University), Allison Collins (Jacksonville State University) |
| Abstract: Resurgence is relapse induced by a worsening of reinforcement for alternative behaviors and represents a pervasive problem for otherwise-effective behavioral treatments to reduce undesirable behavior. Resurgence can occur when reinforcement for alternative behaviors are removed entirely following treatment or when reinforcement is reduced (e.g., reinforcer thinning). According to current theories of resurgence, any reduction in alternative reinforcement value should precipitate resurgence. Resurgence effects following some reductions to alternative reinforcement are well-studied (i.e., rate, magnitude). However, resurgence following delays to alternative reinforcement is relatively understudied. Thus, we compared resurgence induced by four-fold decreases in alternative reinforcement via decreased alternative reinforcer rate or increases in delays to alternative reinforcement. Rats first received reinforcement for pressing a target lever. Then, target behavior was extinguished while alternative lever pressing was reinforced according to a VI 15 s schedule and pellets were delivered after a 0.5 s delay. Across groups, alternative reinforcement was then reduced by decreasing rate (i.e. VI 60 s; Rate group), increasing delay (2 s; Delay group), or extinction (Extinction group). Finally, alternative reinforcement was removed entirely. Results and implications for reinforcer thinning in practice and theories of resurgence will be discussed. |
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| Downshifts in Synthesized Alternative Reinforcement and Resurgence |
| (Basic Research) |
| SEAN SMITH (SUNY Upstate Medical University), Courtney Mauzy (SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Pediatrics and the Golisano Center for Special Needs), Beatriz Elena Arroyo Antunez (SUNY Upstate Medical University), Jacqueline D DeBartelo (SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Pediatrics and the Golisano Center for Special Needs), Thanh Nguyen (SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Pediatrics and the Golisano Center for Special Needs), Leondra Tyler (SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Pediatrics and the Golisano Center for Special Needs), William Sullivan (Golisano Children's Hospital & Center for Special Needs; SUNY Upstate Medical University), Henry S. Roane (SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of Pediatrics and the Golisano Center for Special Needs), Andrew R. Craig (SUNY Upstate Medical University) |
| Abstract: Synthesized reinforcement (i.e., delivering two qualitatively different reinforcers simultaneously) for alternative responses during differential reinforcement of alternative behavior suppresses target behavior more rapidly than isolated reinforcement (i.e., delivering a single reinforcer); however, suspending synthesized alternative reinforcement produces more resurgence than suspending isolated reinforcement. Downshifts in alternative reinforcement also produce resurgence, so we evaluated the effects of downshifts in synthesized alternative reinforcement across three groups of rats. Rats in the synthesized group experienced synthesized reinforcement (food and sucrose) for alternative responses in Phase 2 and a downshift in alternative reinforcement (i.e., food or sucrose was removed) in Phase 3. Rats in the isolated group experienced isolated alternative reinforcement (food or sucrose) for alternative responses in Phase 2 and extinction in Phase 3, which represents a downshift in reinforcement magnitude that is equivalent to the downshift for the synthesized group. A third group was a control for the synthesized group: rats received synthesized reinforcement throughout Phases 2 and 3. We will discuss the results of planned comparisons between these three groups in terms of their implications for future translational and applied research. |
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| A Parametric Examination of Alternative-Response Distance to Evaluate the Influence of Effort on Resurgence |
| (Basic Research) |
| CARLA N MARTINEZ-PEREZ (University of Florida), Toshikazu Kuroda (Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International), Shane Downs (University of Florida), Christopher A. Podlesnik (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: Resurgence is the re-emergence of a target response (R1) that was previously reinforced and later eliminated through extinction. R1 resurges when subsequently exposing a more recently reinforced alternative response (R2) to worsening conditions, such as extinction or decreases in the rate or magnitude of reinforcement. Previous research revealed that operant behavior generally is inversely related to the effort required to engage in a particular behavior. Response effort refers to the distance, force, or amount of work required to access reinforcement. Thus, we systematically examined the role of response effort on resurgence by parametrically manipulating the distance between R1 and R2 under laboratory conditions with human participants. Experimental results suggest arranging the greatest R1-R2 distance (Far) showed the highest R2 response rates. Furthermore, resurgence occurred across all experimental groups, with the greatest resurgence for the Far group, and less resurgence observed for groups that arranged shorter (Adjacent) and no (Same) R1-R2 distances. The results of this study support that greater effort required to engage in competing behavior increases resurgence of R1 and provide important theoretical contributions to resurgence. |
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