Extensions of Resurgence as Choice

NCT05537610 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-04-17

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Although behavioral treatments for decreasing destructive behavior, such as differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), are effective in the clinic, problem behavior often returns when a caregiver does not give the child their way in the natural environment (e.g., caregiver is busy with an infant sibling). This form of treatment relapse is known as resurgence. The goal of the current study is to evaluate whether alternating sessions in which the child can have their way (i.e., "on" sessions) with sessions in which the child can not have their way (i.e., "off" sessions) helps to mitigate resurgence.

Conditions

  • Problem Behavior
  • Aggression
  • Self-Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

CDT

In this condition, the clinician will alternate sessions with reinforcement for the alternative response and sessions without reinforcement for the alternative response during extinction treatment of problem behavior. According to RaC2, alternating periods of reinforcer availability and unavailability for the alternative response will teach the participant that the alternative response alone produces reinforcement but not always. The investigators predict that resurgence of problem behavior will lower, shorter lasting, and with fewer participants experiencing resurgence than those in the control group.

BEHAVIORAL

Control

This condition emulates a traditional approach to treatment in which the clinician does not alternate sessions with reinforcement for the alternative response and sessions without reinforcement for the alternative response during extinction treatment of problem behavior. The investigators predict that resurgence of problem behavior will higher, longer lasting, and with more participants experiencing resurgence than those in the CDT group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
3 Years
Max Age
17 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-02-01
Primary Completion
2027-11-01
Completion
2028-01-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05537610 on ClinicalTrials.gov