B.11 Identify and distinguish between operant and respondent extinction as operations and processes

Operant extinction

In applied behavior analysis, operant extinction refers to the process of eliminating or reducing the occurrence of a previously reinforced behavior by withholding or discontinuing the reinforcer that was maintaining that behavior. In other words, operant extinction involves no longer providing reinforcement following a behavior, leading to a decrease in the frequency or strength of that behavior over time. It is important to note that extinction can temporarily increase the frequency of the behavior before it eventually decreases.

Examples of operant extinction:

Attention Extinction: A child engages in attention-seeking behavior, such as whining or tantrums, to gain attention from their parent. If the parent consistently ignores these attention-seeking behaviors, refraining from providing any attention or reinforcement, the child’s behavior may initially increase in intensity as they try to elicit the previously effective attention. However, over time, when the attention-seeking behavior no longer produces the desired outcome (attention), the frequency and intensity of the behavior will likely decrease.

Extinction Burst: During the initial phase of operant extinction, it is common to observe an extinction burst. This refers to a temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, or variability of the behavior that is being extinguished. For example, if a child is used to receiving candy as a reinforcement for asking for it and the candy is suddenly no longer provided, the child may initially increase their requests or engage in more persistent and intense behaviors (e.g., tantrums) in an attempt to obtain the candy. However, if the candy is consistently withheld, the behavior will eventually decrease.

Respondent extinction

Respondent extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (US), leading to a decrease in the conditioned response (CR).

Example of operant extinction: A dog has been conditioned to salivate (CR) when it hears a bell (CS) because the bell was consistently followed by food (US). If the bell is repeatedly rung without presenting food afterward, the dog’s salivation response to the bell will gradually decrease, indicating respondent extinction.