What is an Extinction Burst?
An extinction burst is a phenomenon observed in behavioral psychology where a previously reinforced behavior temporarily increases in frequency or intensity when the reinforcement is removed. This concept is crucial in understanding the process of behavior modification and is often encountered in educational and clinical settings.
When a behavior that has been consistently rewarded suddenly stops receiving reinforcement, the individual may initially respond by engaging in the behavior more frequently or with greater intensity. This surge in the behavior is called an extinction burst. It’s essentially the organism’s last-ditch effort to elicit the desired response or reward.
For example, if a child has learned that throwing tantrums results in getting candy, and parents decide to stop giving candy in response to tantrums, the child might initially throw even more intense tantrums. This increase in tantrum behavior is the extinction burst.
Extinction bursts are important to recognize in educational and therapeutic contexts because they can be mistaken for the intervention failing. However, they often indicate that the extinction process is working and that the behavior will eventually decrease if the lack of reinforcement is consistently maintained.
Understanding extinction bursts helps educators and therapists prepare for this temporary increase in unwanted behavior and remain committed to the behavior modification plan, ultimately leading to more effective interventions.