Extinction is defined as ...

Extinction is defined as ...

• A. Process of causing a behavior to disappear by providing little or no reinforcement
• B. Punishment of a behavior by adding an aversive stimulus
• C. Modeling a behavior for imitation
• D. Withholding rewards to punish

Answer: (B)

Extinction in operant conditioning is the process of stopping reinforcement for a behavior that used to be reinforced, causing that behavior to gradually disappear. When reinforcement is withheld, the frequency or strength of the behavior declines over time, and sometimes there’s a brief resurgence called an extinction burst as the individual tests whether reinforcement will return. This concept hinges on the removal of reinforcement, not on adding punishment or delivering aversive consequences. The other patterns described involve different mechanisms: punishment adds an aversive consequence to reduce a behavior; modeling involves learning by watching and imitating others; and withholding rewards to punish is a punitive approach that removes positive consequences to decrease behavior. Extinction is simply about not providing the reinforcing outcome any longer.

Extinction in operant conditioning is the process of stopping reinforcement for a behavior that used to be reinforced, causing that behavior to gradually disappear. When reinforcement is withheld, the frequency or strength of the behavior declines over time, and sometimes there’s a brief resurgence called an extinction burst as the individual tests whether reinforcement will return. This concept hinges on the removal of reinforcement, not on adding punishment or delivering aversive consequences.

The other patterns described involve different mechanisms: punishment adds an aversive consequence to reduce a behavior; modeling involves learning by watching and imitating others; and withholding rewards to punish is a punitive approach that removes positive consequences to decrease behavior. Extinction is simply about not providing the reinforcing outcome any longer.