Relative reinforcer efficacy and persistence in extinction are significantly correlated but not clinically actionable

Abstract Although assessments of relative reinforcer efficacy (RRE) have demonstrated utility for instructional programming, their relevance to informing treatment for challenging behavior is underexplored. Because reinforcer value moderates response persistence, RRE may serve as an index of persistence and could have prescriptive utility for treatment design. We targeted the persistence of arbitrary responses of 90 consenting and compensated adults with disabilities. We assigned participants to one of five baselines in which target responses were maintained on schedules prescribed by demand curve analysis (i.e., elastic‐EO, inelastic‐EO, elastic‐AO, inelastic‐AO, P max ) using reinforcers whose RRE had been quantified by breakpoints obtained during progressive‐ratio analysis. We then placed responding on extinction. Linear regressions revealed significant correlations between breakpoints and various metrics of persistence (i.e., rate, latency, reinforcers missed). These relations, however, were less apparent via visual inspection. Our data suggest progressive‐ratio analysis will not serve clinically useful functions without additional conceptual and validation work.