Extinction in ABA involves ... and what is a typical initial behavioral change?

Extinction in ABA involves ... and what is a typical initial behavioral change?

• A. Withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior; initial response burst and then decline.
• B. Maintaining reinforcement for the behavior; immediate cessation.
• C. Punishing the behavior with a mild consequence; rapid decrease.
• D. Providing a new form of reinforcement; no change.

Answer: (A)

Extinction in ABA means withholding the reinforcement that previously maintained a behavior, so the behavior tends to decrease over time. A typical initial change is an extinction burst—an immediate, temporary increase in the target behavior’s frequency, intensity, or duration right after reinforcement stops—as the learner tests whether reinforcement will return. This burst often diminishes as reinforcement remains withheld and alternative, appropriate behaviors are strengthened. For example, if a student taps to gain attention and you stop delivering attention for tapping, you may see a brief spike in tapping before it starts to decline. The key idea is that extinction reduces the behavior in the long run, but a short, initial surge is common. Other strategies that involve continuing reinforcement, applying punishment, or introducing a new form of reinforcement for the same behavior don’t represent extinction, which is specifically about withholding the prior reinforcement to reduce the behavior.

Extinction in ABA means withholding the reinforcement that previously maintained a behavior, so the behavior tends to decrease over time.

A typical initial change is an extinction burst—an immediate, temporary increase in the target behavior’s frequency, intensity, or duration right after reinforcement stops—as the learner tests whether reinforcement will return. This burst often diminishes as reinforcement remains withheld and alternative, appropriate behaviors are strengthened.

For example, if a student taps to gain attention and you stop delivering attention for tapping, you may see a brief spike in tapping before it starts to decline. The key idea is that extinction reduces the behavior in the long run, but a short, initial surge is common.

Other strategies that involve continuing reinforcement, applying punishment, or introducing a new form of reinforcement for the same behavior don’t represent extinction, which is specifically about withholding the prior reinforcement to reduce the behavior.