Two Forms of Extinction
Extinction is one of the most important concepts in behavior analysis, but it is not a single process. There are two distinct forms of extinction, each corresponding to a different type of conditioning. Respondent (classical/Pavlovian) extinction involves the weakening of a conditioned reflex, while operant extinction involves the weakening of a voluntary behavior. Understanding the difference between these two processes is essential for the BCBA exam and for clinical practice, where both forms may be relevant to the same case.
Respondent Extinction
The Process
Respondent extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (US) that it was previously paired with. Over repeated presentations of the CS alone, the conditioned response (CR) gradually weakens and eventually ceases. The CS loses its ability to elicit the CR because the predictive relationship between the CS and the US has been broken.
Example
Consider a child who has developed a conditioned fear response to dogs after being bitten. The dog (CS) was paired with the painful bite (US), and now the sight of a dog elicits fear (CR). In respondent extinction, the child would be repeatedly exposed to dogs (CS) without experiencing a bite (US). Over time, the fear response would diminish as the dog ceases to predict pain. This is the basis for exposure-based interventions used by clinical psychologists and is relevant to behavior analysts working with anxiety-related presentations.
Key Features
- Involves elicited behavior (reflexive responses controlled by antecedent stimuli)
- The CS is presented without the US
- The CR diminishes because the CS-US association weakens
- No consequence manipulation is involved; the focus is on antecedent stimulus relationships
Operant Extinction
The Process
Operant extinction occurs when a behavior that was previously reinforced no longer produces reinforcement. The behavior is emitted, but the consequence that maintained it is withheld. Over time, the behavior decreases in frequency, duration, or intensity. The critical element is the disruption of the response-reinforcer relationship.
Example
A child who has learned to scream to get parental attention (the screaming is positively reinforced by attention) is placed on operant extinction when the parents consistently withhold attention following screaming. The behavior continues for a time but gradually decreases as the child learns that screaming no longer produces the reinforcing consequence.
Key Features
- Involves emitted behavior (voluntary behavior controlled by its consequences)
- The reinforcer that maintained the behavior is withheld
- The behavior decreases because the response-reinforcer contingency is broken
- The focus is on consequence manipulation
The Extinction Burst
Both forms of extinction can produce temporary increases in responding before the ultimate decline, but the extinction burst is most commonly discussed in the context of operant extinction. When reinforcement is first withheld, the organism typically responds more intensely, more frequently, or in new forms before the behavior begins to decrease. This extinction burst is a well-documented phenomenon that clinicians must prepare caregivers for when implementing extinction-based procedures.
In respondent extinction, there is not a true "burst" in the same way, but the CR may initially intensify during the early presentations of the CS alone before beginning to weaken. This is sometimes observed in exposure therapy when anxiety temporarily spikes at the beginning of a session before declining.
Spontaneous Recovery
Spontaneous recovery occurs in both respondent and operant extinction. After a period of time following successful extinction, the extinguished response may temporarily reappear even though no additional conditioning or reinforcement has occurred.
In respondent extinction, the CS may elicit the CR again at the beginning of a new session, even though the CR had been fully extinguished in the previous session. The response is typically weaker than the original CR and extinguishes more quickly with continued CS-alone presentations.
In operant extinction, the previously reinforced behavior may reappear after a break in time, even though the behavior had decreased to zero in previous sessions. As with respondent recovery, the behavior is typically less intense and extinguishes more rapidly if the extinction contingency remains in place.
Side Effects and Related Phenomena
Operant Extinction Side Effects
Operant extinction is associated with several side effects beyond the extinction burst:
- Extinction-induced aggression: The organism may engage in aggressive behavior when reinforcement is withheld
- Extinction-induced variability: Novel responses or response topographies may emerge as the organism "tries" different behaviors to access the withheld reinforcer
- Emotional responses: Frustration and other emotional responses may accompany the extinction process
Respondent Extinction Considerations
In respondent extinction, the primary concern is that too-rapid exposure to the CS can produce intense emotional responding. Systematic desensitization (pairing gradual CS exposure with relaxation) was developed partly to address this concern. Additionally, respondent extinction is context-dependent: a CR that is extinguished in one setting may still occur in another setting (renewal effect), which has implications for generalization of treatment gains.
BCBA Exam Strategies
Exam questions frequently require you to identify which type of extinction is being described in a scenario. Use these guidelines:
- Identify the behavior type: Is the behavior elicited (respondent) or emitted (operant)?
- Identify the manipulation: Is an antecedent stimulus relationship being disrupted (respondent) or a consequence being withheld (operant)?
- Check the terminology: Does the scenario mention CS, US, and CR (respondent) or reinforcement, consequences, and maintained-by language (operant)?
A common exam mistake is assuming all extinction is operant extinction. When a scenario describes an anxiety response diminishing after repeated exposure to a feared stimulus without the feared outcome, that is respondent extinction, not operant extinction. Read scenarios carefully to distinguish between elicited and emitted behavior.