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Journal of applied behavior analysis
Dec 11, 2024;

On the prevalence and magnitude of resurgence during delay-and-denial tolerance teaching.

Arielle R Marshall, Daniel R Mitteer, Brian D Greer, Catherine B Kishel
Author Information
  1. Arielle R Marshall: Department of Applied Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
  2. Daniel R Mitteer: Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA. ORCID
  3. Brian D Greer: Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA. ORCID
  4. Catherine B Kishel: Children's Specialized Hospital-Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH-RUCARES), Somerset, NJ, USA. ORCID
PMID: 39660851 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.2930

Abstract

Resurgence is the recurrence of target behavior (e.g., challenging behavior) during a worsening of reinforcement conditions (e.g., increases in response effort, decreases in alternative reinforcement). Previous studies have examined the prevalence and magnitude of resurgence during functional communication training implemented with discriminative stimuli. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to analyze the magnitude and prevalence of resurgence during delay-and-denial tolerance teaching. Similar to previous studies with discriminative stimuli, resurgence occurred for most participants and in about one third of transitions. When resurgence was present, challenging behavior increased to approximately 26% of baseline levels. Resurgence was less likely to occur during response-effort manipulations (i.e., complexity teaching, tolerance-response teaching) and was most likely to occur during increases in delays that ended following the passage of time rather than a response criterion. We discuss implications for treatment refinements and future treatment-relapse research.

Keywords

delay‐and‐denial tolerance teaching functional communication training resurgence skill‐based treatment

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Grants

  1. 2R01HD079113/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  2. 2R01HD093734/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  3. 1R01HD109266/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  4. 1R01HD108617/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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