What happens during the process of Extinction?

During the process of extinction, a reinforcer is no longer provided contingent on a response. This concept is rooted in operant conditioning, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on the consequences that follow them. When a behavior that was previously reinforced no longer receives reinforcement, the likelihood of that behavior occurring again diminishes over time. Extinction does not immediately result in a cessation of the behavior; instead, there may be an initial increase in the behavior (often referred to as an extinction burst) before it begins to decrease.

The other concepts may misinterpret or misrepresent how extinction functions. Behaviors becoming more frequent over time or responses being reinforced indefinitely contradict the basic principles of extinction, which specifically involve the removal of reinforcement. Additionally, stating that all behaviors increase substantially does not accurately reflect the nuanced nature of extinction; not all behaviors are affected uniformly or positively by the lack of reinforcement. This clarification solidifies the understanding that the defining characteristic of extinction is the absence of reinforcement following a previously reinforced response.