Resurgence: The Unintended Maintenance of Problem Behavior

Researchers, teachers, practitioners, and parents are often concerned with how to program for and achieve the maintenance of appropriate behavior. The unintended maintenance of problem behavior is less often evaluated. This article describes a behavioral phenomenon, resurgence, that may result in the unintended maintenance of problem behavior. Examples of resurgence from the basic and applied literatures, factors influencing resurgence, and methods for mitigating its effects are discussed.