Evaluation of resurgence following differential reinforcement of alternative behavior with and without extinction in a human operant model

One of the most common treatments for severe challenging behavior involves placing the challenging behavior on extinction and differentially reinforcing an alternative response (DRA). However, extinction is not always feasible and may be unsafe or impractical to implement in some circumstances. Thus, implementing a DRA without extinction intervention may be necessary for some cases. Currently, the extent to which DRA without extinction produces durable treatment outcomes, particularly as it relates to the resurgence of challenging behavior, is unclear. The present study investigated resurgence following DRA with and without extinction using a three-phase resurgence evaluation in a translational human operant model with college students as participants. All participants demonstrated resurgence across both experimental groups. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence, magnitude, or persistence of resurgence between groups, levels of resurgence magnitude were relatively higher in the DRA-without-extinction group than in the DRA-with-extinction group. Clinical implications of these findings and directions for future human operant investigations of resurgence are discussed.