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

ConditionProblem Behavior

Trial statusRecruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age6-21

SponsorOakland University

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare a novel tactic for mitigating reinstatement compared to the current standard of care approach using a translational-treatment model. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. how well does progressive ratio training mitigate response-dependent reinstatement compared to the standard of care approach? 2. how well does progressive ratio training mitigate response-independent reinstatement compared to the standard of care approach?

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Boys and girls from ages 6 to 21

Engage in problem behavior

Diagnosis of some type of intellectual and developmental disability

Disqualifiers

Not meeting the inclusion criteria

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Progressive Ratio Training (PRT)
Behavioral
Progressive ratio training (PRT) is used to prevent recurrence of the proxy response when extinction errors occur. PRT involves providing a reinforcer for the proxy response on a geometric progressive ratio (PR) scale. The schedule requirement will increase for the target response each time a reinforcer is delivered. For example, once a reinforcer is delivered on the PR-2 schedule, the requirement will increase to a PR-4, then to a PR-8, -16, -32, etc.
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative (DRA) Behavior with Extinction
Behavioral
In DRA with extinction, the proxy for problem behavior is placed on extinction and no longer produces reinforcement. The proxy for communication behavior produces reinforcement on a fixed-ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement.

Treatment groups

24 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Group A: Progressive Ratio TrainingExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Standard of CareExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Treatment Effectiveness

The number of individuals for whom treatment remains effective (either progressive ratio training or current standard-of-care), which investigators will determine by comparing the mean rate of responding in baseline and subsequent conditions (Treatment and Reinstatement Tests 1 and 2). If investigators find at least an 80% reduction in target behavior in a condition (a standard clinical target for problem behavior), they will conclude that the treatment is effective (or remains effective).

Time frame

2 years

Secondary outcomes

Proportional and Comparative Effectiveness

The proportional and comparative effectiveness of the treatments, which investigators will determine from the mean rate of behavior in Phase 2 Treatment and the treatments during Phase 3 Reinstatement Tests (with progressive-ratio training and the standard-of-care approach), and determine the difference in percent reduction between treatment and the reinstatement tests. This second measure is preliminary: no pilot data speak to what may be observed. However, these data are likely to be important to future research.

Time frame

2 years

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Oakland University

Lead sponsor

Auburn University

Collaborator

Source ClinicalTrials.gov

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