Removing the Opportunity to Respond Induces Resurgence

Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Alan Poling, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Lisa Baker, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ron Van Houten, Ph.D.

Fourth Advisor

Steve Ragotzy, Ph.D.

Keywords

Extinction, rats, response recovery, resurgence

Abstract

Extinction is a ubiquitous aspect of learning in humans and other animals. Extinction affects behavior in several ways. When a target response is extinguished and an alternative response is reinforced, then conditions for the alternative response worsen, such as by withholding reinforcement for the alternative response, the previously extinguished target response may reappear. Resurgence is the reappearance of the target response in the final condition. Resurgence is relevant to relapse in applied settings and, in part for that reason, has generated a substantial body of basic, translational, and applied research. The purpose of the present study was to examine in rats whether resurgence would occur if the opportunity to emit an alternative response was removed, which could occur in applied settings. In the present study, 24 rats were initially trained to press a target lever under a variable-interval 30-s schedule of food delivery. Then, responses on that lever were extinguished and responses on an alternative lever were reinforced under the same schedule. Finally, target responses continued to be extinguished for all rats. For one group of rats, extinction was also arranged for alternative responses. For two groups of rats, the lever on which alternative responses occurred was retracted. No food was presented to one of those groups and food was presented under a variable-time schedule to the other. In all groups, the rate of occurrence of the target response at the beginning of the final condition exceeded the rate of occurrence at the end of the second condition, indicating resurgence. The number of target responses during the final condition was highest in the group with the lever removed and food presented independently of responding, second highest in the group with the lever removed, and lowest in the group with both levers present and no food delivered. These findings demonstrate that removing the opportunity to emit an operant response can induce resurgence, even when the stimulus that maintained such responding continues to be presented independent of responding. Possible clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

5-1-2027

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