SIX REASONS WHY APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RESURGENCE

Abstract

To date, the majority of resurgence studies have occurred in controlled contexts with nonhuman subjects. However, understanding resurgence has implications for application. In this article, I outline six reasons why applied behavior analysts should know about resurgence. These reasons are the generality of the phenomenon, the diversity of responses that resurge, the extent to which procedures parallel common clinical treatment, the likelihood of particular topographies resurging, the extent to which clinicians might want resurgence, and the ways that clinicians can structure reinforcement histories to affect resurgence. Although we have a growing body of knowledge about the conditions under which resurgence occurs, further research is needed to determine the generality of existing studies to clinical contexts. In the meantime, clinicians should plan for resurgence when working with their clients.