We consider the dynamics of some representative adaptively- controlled systems and focus on situations where the desired operating point is locally, but not globally, stable. Perturbations which drive the system from the set point are quantified by computing the boundaries separating the basin of attraction of the set point from the basins of attraction of the other, undesirable attractors. The basins are found to sometimes consist of complicated, disconnected structures in phase space. This results from the nonunique reverse-time dynamics often exhibited by these systems and can be studied by considering the behavior of the reverse-time map along the basin boundaries. The effect of noninvertibility on the forward-time dynamical behavior is also explored.