Response effort and resurgence.

This study looked at how hard or easy it is to do a behavior affects whether that behavior comes back after being stopped. Researchers tested this with adults and autistic teenagers using computer games where they touched moving objects to earn points. They found that easier behaviors were more likely to come back strongly when rewards were removed, while harder behaviors came back less. This suggests that when trying to reduce problem behaviors, it's important to consider how much effort they require.

This translational study examined how response effort affects resurgence (the return of previously eliminated behaviors) in 11 typically developing adults and 5 adolescents with autism. Participants earned points by touching moving stimuli on computer screens, with effort manipulated through object size and speed. The study used a three-phase design: establishment (R1 reinforced), elimination (R1 extinguished while R2 reinforced), and extinction (both responses no longer reinforced). Results demonstrated that easier responses showed greater resurgence magnitude compared to more difficult responses across both experiments, supporting the hypothesis that less effortful behaviors are more likely to recur when reinforcement conditions change.

When designing behavior interventions, clinicians should consider the effort required for both problem and replacement behaviors. Low-effort problem behaviors may require more intensive maintenance strategies to prevent return. Teaching higher-effort replacement behaviors may need additional support to ensure sustainability.

Small sample size, particularly for the autism group (n=5). Laboratory-based computer task may not generalize to real-world behaviors. Limited demographic information provided. Single study without replication across different populations or settings.

This study provides an initial translational examination of response effort and resurgence. Eleven typically developing adults and five adolescents with autism served as participants across two experiments. Participants received points for touching moving stimuli on a computer screen. The resurgence evaluation consisted of three phases: establishment wherein R1 was reinforced, elimination wherein R1 was placed on extinction while R2 was reinforced, and extinction wherein R1 and R2 no longer resulted in reinforcement.

Rate of R1 during extinction was compared across three conditions: intermediate, easy, and difficult. Disparity in effort was created by manipulations of the size and speed of objects that moved about on a computer screen. In Experiment 2, control stimuli were added to the experimental arrangement. Across the two experiments, the magnitude of resurgence was greater when R1 was easy.

In Experiment 2, both R1 and control responding were greater in the extinction phase than in the elimination phase in all conditions with all participants. The present study supports the hypothesis that response effort affects resurgence and that less effortful responses are likely to recur with greater magnitude under conditions that produce resurgence than are their more effortful counterparts.