Chapter 05 - Extinction

Extinction

a process in which a behavior that had been reinforced for a period of time was no longer reinforced, leading to the conditioned behavior to stop occurring — weakens operant behavior

Extinction occurs when

1. A behavior that has been previously reinforced

2. No longer results in the reinforcing consequence

3. And, therefore, the behavior stops occurring in the future

reinforced

• As long as a behavior is _______ (at least intermittently), it will continue to occur

  • Extinction involves complete removal of a reinforcing stimulus 

Extinction burst

The phenomenon in which, when a behavior is no longer reinforced, the behavior temporarily increases in frequency, duration, or intensity before decreasing. Novel behaviors or emotional responses may also occur

Three things may happen during extinction burt

1. Behavior may briefly increase in frequency, duration, or intensity 

2. Novel behaviors may occur

3. Emotional responses or aggressive behavior may occur

Novel behavior

additional behaviors exhibited that do not typically occur in a particular situation during the process of extinction - arises during extinction bursts

Novel behavior example

child's parents to longer reinforced her crying before bedtime, she began screaming and hitting her pillow (novel behaviors) as well as an increase in duration and intensity in her crying

emotional

• Sometimes __________ responses may occur during extinction burst

  • Aggressive behavior increases 

  • Typically occurs with young children

frequency, duration, or intensity

• Sometimes, the increased _______, _______, or _______ of the unreinforced behavior and the novel/emotional behaviors that occur during extinction may be reinforced 

  • Example - pulling harder on a doorknob → door may open if it is only stuck rather than locked

Spontaneous recovery

characteristic of extinction in which behavior may occur again even after it has not occurred for some time in situations where the behavior was previously reinforced

positively and negatively

Extinction can occur with both ______ and _______ reinforced behaviors

Extinction and positive reinforcement

reinforcing consequence that followed a behavior does not occur after behavior has occurred

Extinction and negative reinforcement

an aversive stimulus is not removed after a behavior occurs

clearly identified

For extinction to be effective, the reinforcer must be ___________ for it to be effective

Some people think that using extinction means to simply ignore the behavior, which is not true - Extinction involves withholding a reinforced for a behavior

What is a common misconception about extinction?

factors that influence extinction

1. reinforcement schedule

2. reinforcement of the behavior after extincton

3. presence of reinforcement for functionally equivalent alternative behaviors during extinction

Reinforcement schedule before extinction

• Partly determines whether extinction results in a rapid decrease in the behavior or a more gradual decrease 

  • Continuous schedule of reinforcement behavior will decrease much more rapidly than intermittent schedule of reinforcement behavior

Resistance to extinction

then tendency for a person to continue to respond after extinction is in effect for the behavior - intermittent schedules of reinforcement make the behavior more resistant to extinction vs continuous reinforcement schedules

Reinforcement of the behavior after extinction

• Reinforcement of the behavior, once extinction has been started, amounts to intermittent reinforcement, which make he behavior more resistant to extinction 

• If behavior is reinforced in an instance on spontaneous recovery, the behavior may then increase to the level it was before extinction began

Presence of reinforcement for functionally equivalent alternative behaviors during extinction

• Functionally equivalent behavior = behavior produces the same reinforcer the problem behavior used to produce

  • Original behavior will decrease thru extinction and the functionally equivalent behavior will take its place in order to obtain reinforcer

  • Functionally equivalent behavior can be a desirable behavior to replace target behavior - essentially replacing it

more effective, not

Extinction can be made ___________ if the reinforcer that was maintaining the problem behavior before extinction is delivered noncontingently during extinction (reinforcement given only when problem behavior is _____ exhibited)

Resurgence

when a problem behavior occurs again after extinction once you stop reinforcing the alternative behavior or stop providing noncontingent reinforcement