Baseline reinforcement rate and resurgence of destructive behavior

Fisher’s team taught seven children to ask for toys instead of hitting or screaming. They gave each child FCT sessions every day.

Before FCT started, the kids got the toy after every 5 requests in one condition, or after every 20 requests in the other. This set the baseline reinforcement rate.

When the toy was later withheld (extinction), problem behavior came back in 4 of 7 kids.

Children who had earned the toy more often before FCT showed the biggest return of hitting or screaming.

Greer et al. (2024) later showed that big, sudden drops in reinforcement also spark resurgence. Their work extends Fisher’s by focusing on how fast you thin the schedule, not how rich it was at the start.

Nist et al. (2021) repeated the rate effect with college students. They found the same pattern: lower overall reinforcement means less resurgence, even when thinning happens inside one session.

Arroyo Antúnez et al. (2026) tested mice and saw that larger food pellets caused more resurgence. Together these studies form a clear rule: richer reinforcement history, bigger relapse risk.

If you start FCT with lots of free reinforcement, plan for a tougher extinction burst later. Begin with leaner schedules or thin gradually, as Greer et al. suggest. Track resurgence probes and keep replacement communication strong so the old behavior has no room to return.