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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.

If more and more responding is required to earn a reinforcer, as in progressive ratio schedules, behavior eventually becomes "strained," characterized by long pauses and irregular response patterns. If the response requirement continues to escalate, behavior reaches a "break point" and ultimately ceases altogether for a period of time. The present experiments investigated whether responding can be regenerated after the break point has been reached, using techniques that are known to produce recurrence of behavior that was eliminated by extinction. Pigeons responded on progressive ratio schedules until stable performance was observed. Then, test sessions were conducted in which a recurrence procedure (reinstatement, renewal, or resurgence) was applied after the break point had been reached. All recurrence procedures regenerated responding, demonstrating that the same procedures known to produce recurrence of extinguished behavior also can produce recurrence of behavior eliminated by progressive-ratio schedules.