Beyond the breakpoint: reinstatement, renewal, and resurgence of ratio-strained behavior

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted using pigeons to assess the recurrence of responding eliminated by increasing the value of a progressive-ratio schedule to the breakpoint of responding. The procedures used in these assessments were, in successive experiments, reinstatement, renewal and resurgence. Each was effective in returning temporarily the eliminated responding. Reinstatement occurred with both yoked-time and fixed-time food deliveries. Both renewal and resurgence resulted in immediate recurrence of the response, and, as in other experiments investigating resurgence, the key peck response resurged as the alternative response extinguished. The results of all three experiments suggest the generality of these recurrence procedures to responding under progressive-ratio schedules, indicating that strained performance under these schedules is amenable to recovery under the investigated conditions.

Keywords: key peck; pigeon; progressive-ratio schedules; reinstatement; renewal; resurgence.