Prevalence of renewal of problem behavior during context changes. Issue 3 (7th January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Muething, Colin; Call, Nathan; Pavlov, Alexis; Ringdahl, Joel; Gillespie, Scott; Clark, Seth; Mevers, Joanna Lomas
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied behavior analysis. Volume 53:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 1485
• Page End: 1493
• Publication Date: 2020-01-07
• Subjects: prevalence -- problem behavior -- relapse -- renewal; Psychology, Applied -- Periodicals; Social Behavior -- Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1002/jaba.672
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8855

Abstract

Abstract : Renewal is defined as the reemergence of a previously eliminated behavior following a context change. Determining the prevalence of this effect in clinical practice would allow clinicians to better anticipate the reemergence of problem behavior, such as when a patient is discharged from a treatment facility to return to their home. The current consecutive, case‐series analysis determined the prevalence and magnitude of renewal when implementing behavioral treatments for problem behavior. Across 182 context changes, renewal was observed 77 times (42.3%). In the first session following the context change, problem behavior rates increased by a factor of 3 and then decreased across successive sessions. These results indicated that renewal effects may be common, but are also transient and return to rates observed before context changes.