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| Exploring Resurgence in the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 152 AB |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Stephanie Mattson (Mississippi State University) |
| CE Instructor: Stephanie Mattson, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Resurgence, or the reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior when reinforcement is discontinued for an alternative response, has been demonstrated extensively across a variety of experimental and translational research arrangements. Resurgence is also of interest in applied research due to the typical arrangement of common treatment procedures and the likelihood of alternative responses contacting extinction in naturalistic contexts. As a result, there is a need to further investigate variables that may influence resurgence. This symposium includes three empirical studies that evaluate resurgence in the context of the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab. In the first investigation, researchers implemented a three-phase (A-B-C) research arrangement with adult graduate students to evaluate resurgence of target responding. In the second investigation, researchers evaluated the impact of single training (i.e., single alternative) versus serial training (i.e., multiple alternatives) and manipulated training time to evaluate the impact of learning history considerations on resurgence. In the final investigation, researchers investigated the extent to which differences in stimulus control during acquisition influenced responding during a resurgence test. These three studies extend the current literature by evaluating resurgence and investigating variables that may impact the rate of resurgence with human participants. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): extinction, PORTL, resurgence |
| Target Audience: Behavioral researchers and practitioners |
Learning Objectives: 1. Define and describe resurgence
2. Describe empirical examples of resurgence with human research populations
3. Identify and describe variables related to learning history and stimulus control that may impact resurgence |
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| An Evaluation of Resurgence in the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab |
| (Basic Research) |
| BROOKE PABEN (Mississippi State University), Stephanie Mattson (Mississippi State University), Taylor Faith Moore (Mississippi State University), Courtney Lewis (Mississippi State University) |
| Abstract: Resurgence is a type of treatment relapse that is defined as the reappearance of an extinguished target behavior when a previously reinforced alternative behavior is placed on extinction. Because of the potential for treatment relapse phenomena such as resurgence to occur in applied contexts, resurgence has garnered recent attention from applied researchers. Numerous researchers have demonstrated resurgence effects across both animal and human populations; however, more research is needed to evaluate resurgence with non-clinical human populations. In the current investigation, we generally replicated the procedures of the resurgence evaluation in Robinson and Kelley (2020) using the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab. Specifically, we implemented a three-phase (A-B-C) research paradigm with adult graduate students participating in the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab wherein we reinforced an arbitrary target behavior in Phase A, placed the target behavior on extinction and reinforced an alternative behavior in Phase B, and placed both the target and alternative behaviors on extinction in Phase C. Results of this investigation demonstrated immediate resurgence of target responding during Phase C for all but one participant. These findings replicate and extend the current literature on resurgence by providing additional information about non-clinical human participant responding under conditions that may be likely to result in resurgence. |
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| Impact of Learning History on Resurgence in the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab |
| (Basic Research) |
| EMILY JACKSON (University of Kansas), Meghan McGlohen (University of Kansas), Robin Kuhn (University of Kansas) |
| Abstract: This study sought to replicate the findings of Diaz Salvat et al. (2020) and further explore the role of time and learning history on resurgence. Nine participants between the ages of 18 and 65 were recruited for this study. Participants were adults who self-identified as neurotypical, spoke English, could distinguish between colors, could use both hands with gross and fine motor skills, and were available to be free from distraction (i.e., no phones) for up to 3 hr of participation. Experiment 1 evaluated the influence of single training (i.e., single alternative) and serial training (i.e., multiple alternatives) on resurgence by systematically replicating the initial experiment of Diaz-Salvat et al. to test the viability of the experimental arrangement using the PORTL apparatus (Hunter & Rosales-Ruiz, 2019). During Experiment 2, training type was manipulated as in Experiment 1, but training time was doubled to extend learning histories and evaluate their influence on resurgence. While the results from Experiment 1 were mixed, the major findings of Diaz-Salvat et al. were clearly replicated in Experiment 2. The present research results are similar to that of existing literature, suggesting more research is needed to understand how alternative response training order and reinforcement schedule impact resurgence. |
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| Stimulus Control Affects Resurgence |
| (Basic Research) |
| Cameron Scallan (Western Michigan University), JESUS ROSALES-RUIZ (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: The current study investigated whether differences in stimulus control during acquisition influenced the frequency and order of responding during a resurgence test. Using the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab (PORTL), the experimenter trained undergraduate students to emit four behaviors with a toy car. Three behaviors (push, spin, shake) were taught while the car was upright. Push was trained while the car was facing west, spin while the car was facing south, and shake while the car was facing north. One behavior (flip) was trained while the car was upside down and facing east. After acquisition, all behaviors were placed on extinction for one minute with the car beginning in an upright position. During the resurgence test, the participants mainly engaged in behavior that corresponded with the stimulus control established during acquisition. For example, if the car was facing west, more pushing behaviors were observed. Most notably, the flip response occurred least when the car was upright and was emitted last whether it was trained first or second. These findings suggest that the stimulus control present during resurgence influenced the frequency and order of responding during the resurgence test. |
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