What is extinction in ABA?

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What is extinction in ABA?

Extinction in ABA is the process of stopping reinforcement for a behavior that has been previously reinforced, which leads to a decrease in how often that behavior occurs in the future. The idea is that reinforcement strengthens behavior, so removing that reinforcement reduces its occurrence over time. You may see a brief increase in behaviors at the start, known as an extinction burst, but the overall trend is downward as reinforcement remains withheld. Extinction is not punishment; no aversive consequence is introduced, it’s simply withholding the reinforcer for the specific behavior that used to produce it. It targets the behavior that was maintained, not all behavior. If reinforcement is resumed, or punishment is used, you’re applying a different procedure.

Extinction in ABA is the process of stopping reinforcement for a behavior that has been previously reinforced, which leads to a decrease in how often that behavior occurs in the future. The idea is that reinforcement strengthens behavior, so removing that reinforcement reduces its occurrence over time. You may see a brief increase in behaviors at the start, known as an extinction burst, but the overall trend is downward as reinforcement remains withheld. Extinction is not punishment; no aversive consequence is introduced, it’s simply withholding the reinforcer for the specific behavior that used to produce it. It targets the behavior that was maintained, not all behavior. If reinforcement is resumed, or punishment is used, you’re applying a different procedure.

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