Effects of Response Effort on Resurgence

Document Type

Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree

M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis

Date Completed

2024

First Committee Member

Dickson, Chata A.

Second Committee Member

Bourret, Jason

Third Committee Member

Thompson, Rachel

Abstract

"In the current study, a within-subject experimental comparison of resurgence of more and less effortful responses was conducted. Seven typically developing adults were tasked with shooting a basketball towards a hoop on an indoor basketball court from two different locations. Two target locations (near and far) were marked on the basketball court with blue painter’s tape. Sessions consisted of three components: establishment, elimination, and extinction. Each component lasted until 20 shots were taken, and then the next component began. At the start of each session, shots taken from one of the two locations (near or far) were followed by the researcher blowing a whistle immediately following the shot. In the next component, shots taken from the other location were followed by the whistle. In the final component, the test for resurgence, no shots were reinforced. With every whistle, a point was given to the participant for an opportunity to win one of two gift cards. In this ABAB reversal design, the A and B conditions defined which shots (near or far) would be reinforced in the first establishment component. Of the 11 sessions where criteria for the evaluation of resurgence were met, resurgence occurred in 100% of all sessions. Finally, magnitude of resurgence was evaluated in two participants, yielding opposite results."

This document is available upon request to Western New England University faculty, students, and staff. Please contact D'Amour Library at dref@wne.edu for access.

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