Destructive behavior increases as a function of reductions in alternative reinforcement during schedule thinning: A retrospective quantitative analysis

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.

Keywords: destructive behavior; functional communication training; reinforcement schedule thinning; resurgence; translational research.

© 2021 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Figures

Figure 1

Resurgence as a Function of Decreased Alternative Reinforcement by Participant Note. Proportion-of-baseline increase in destructive behavior across sessions that preceded and followed a decrease in the availability of alternative reinforcement. Each panel displays the data of one participant. Note the logarithmic y-axes and expanded y-axis range of the top two panels.

Figure 2

Resurgence as a Function of Decreased Alternative Reinforcement Note. Proportion-of-baseline-adjusted increases in destructive behavior across sessions that preceded and followed a decrease in the availability of alternative reinforcement. The line in the main panel is a linear regression. Note the logarithmic y-axis. The inset panel shows the same regression line presented in arithmetic space.