Using Behavioral Economics to Mitigate Relapse of Problem Behavior in an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Population

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to compare a new method for reducing relapse of problem behavior with the current standard behavioral treatment in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The study focuses on two key questions: how well progressive ratio training reduces response-dependent reinstatement and response-independent reinstatement, which are forms of relapse that can cause treatment failure in community settings. Participants will be assigned to one of two behavioral treatments. One group will receive progressive ratio training (PRT), a novel method where reinforcement is provided on a progressively increasing schedule to prevent relapse. The other group will receive the standard approach called differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) with extinction, where problem behavior no longer produces reinforcement while alternative communication is reinforced consistently. During the study, participants will engage in treatments applied to proxy responses representing problem behavior. Researchers will assess treatment effectiveness over two years, measuring how well each approach mitigates relapse. They will collect data on proportional and comparative effectiveness to understand which tactic better sustains treatment benefits. This trial will help improve behavioral treatments for individuals with IDD by identifying strategies that protect against relapse.

Preventing Relapse of Problem Behavior Through Behavioral Economics: A Translational Analysis