Effects of response preference on resistance to change
Let the learner pick the mand form they like—high-preference responses outlast thinning without extra tricks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ringdahl et al. (2018) asked a simple question. When kids learn to ask for things, does the way they ask matter for staying power?
They let each child pick a favorite way to mand. Then they compared how long the high-pick and low-pick forms lasted when reinforcement got thin.
The team ran the test with and without a history of problem behavior to see if past trouble changed the outcome.
What they found
High-picked mands kept going even when goodies were slow to come. Low-picked mands faded fast.
The pattern held for every child, whether they used to hit or not. Choice drove durability.
How this fits with other research
Stevens et al. (2018) also worked on FCT in 2018. They used lag schedules to keep mands varied. Both teams show the same big idea: build the response you want to survive thinning, just with different tools.
Adami et al. (2017) came first with lag 1 in FCT. Ringdahl adds the twist that simple preference, not extra rules, can do the heavy lifting.
Livingston et al. (2025) later used short bouts of extinction to rank communication options. Their hierarchy method lines up with Ringdahl: let the kid’s own data pick the winner.
Why it matters
Next time you set up FCT, run a quick mand preference assessment first. Let the client choose the topography they like best, then teach that form. You may skip extra thinning tricks because the preferred response already has built-in staying power. One small choice up front can save you weeks of relapse later.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Before you start FCT, let the child try three mand topographies and record which one they pick most; teach that form first.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, such as functional communication training, are widely used. Research regarding the maintenance of related treatment effects is limited. Nevin and Wacker (2013) provided a conceptual framework, rooted in behavioral momentum theory, for the study of treatment maintenance that addressed two components: (a) reemergence of problem behavior, and (b) continued expression of appropriate behavior. In the few studies on this topic, focus has been on variables impacting the reemergence of problem behavior, with fewer studies evaluating the persistence of appropriate behavior. Given the findings from applied research related to functional communication training, variables related to response topography, such as response preference, may impact this aspect of maintenance. In the current study, the impact of response preference on persistence was evaluated in the context of functional communication training for individuals who did not exhibit problem behavior (Experiment 1) and for individuals with a history of reinforcement for problem behavior (Experiment 2). High-preferred mands were more persistent than low-preferred mands. These findings suggest that response related variables, such as response preference, impact response persistence and further suggest that response related variables should be considered when developing interventions such as functional communication training.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2018 · doi:10.1002/jeab.308