extinction Flashcards
what is extinction?
withholding reinforcement from a previously reinforced response.
what is extinction mainly used for?
to eliminate the connection between the behavior and the consequences that follow.
what happens to a response undergoing extinction?
it eventually decreases in frequency until it returns to its pre-reinforcement level or is eliminated.
what are some types of reinforcement for behaviors?
- attention
- escape
- avoidance
- automatic/self-stimulatory
how many sources of reinforcement can there be?
there can be many.
what usually happens to a reinforcer in usual cases?
it does not stop completely (extinction) but follows once in a while or rarely (intermittent reinforcement).
what usually happens with extinction?
it usually changes gradually, particularly after intermittent reinforcement.
why is extinction difficult to use for self-injurious behavior?
it is concerning because if extinction is gradual, they still can hurt themselves while we are phasing out that behavior.
what are extinction bursts?
- an increase in responding at the beginning of the extinction period
- a burst of responses does not always occur at the beginning of extinction but has been evident in many programs
why does positive reinforcement along with extinction work?
it helps to promote desirable behavior and reduce the likelihood of extinction bursts.
what is increase in variability of the behavior?
behavior may increase in intensity or frequency.
what is spontaneous recovery?
- the temporary recurrence of a non-reinforced response during extinction
- major concern is that this response will be accidentally reinforced
what is a side effect of extinction?
- emotional responses such as agitation, frustration, rage, aggression, and feelings of failure
- likely to be temporary and diminish as the target response extinguishes
what type of extinction is usually used in most applied settings?
extinction of positively reinforced behaviors.
how can the elimination of problem behaviors be sped up?
combining extinction with positive reinforcement for prosocial behavior.
why are operant behaviors focused on in applied settings?
because they are influenced by antecedents and maintained by their consequences.
in applied settings, extinction is usually used for behaviors that have been maintained by blank.
positive reinforcement.
what happens if something was intermittently reinforced?
it will take longer for extinction to occur.
the greater the amount of a particular reinforcer given for a response, the greater the blank to extinction.
resistance of the response.
what happens the longer responses have been reinforced?
the greater the resistance to extinction.
what happens if a behavior has been extinguished in the past?
extinction will happen faster.
what must happen to reinforcers maintaining behavior during extinction?
they must be identified and withheld.
what happens to a strong motivating operation?.
extinction happens slowly and vice versa.
what is empirical observation/FBA usually used for?
determining which reinforcer is maintaining a behavior.
why does quantity and quality of a reinforcer matter?
- a good reinforcer extinguishes slowly that something that is mildly reinforcing
- you really persist if it is something you want
what happens if a reinforcer has compulsive elements?
it is harder to extinguish.
what happens with low motivating operations?
they reach critical points faster.
in what cases is extinction not helpful?
where sources of reinforcement are not always easily controlled or eliminated even if they could be identified.
what is extinction of negatively reinforced behavior?
- behaviors that are maintained because they escape or avoid an event or consequence
- it is extinction when a behavior occurs but does not need to reinforcement
what is escape extinction?
the reinforcer (escape) does not follow the inappropriate behavior.
what are some characteristics of escape demands?
- very powerful reinforcers
- difficult to use them when the behavior is dangerous
- can be extinguished by not removing the demands until there is compliance
what influences the effectiveness of punishment?
- schedule of reinforcement
- immediacy
- magnitude/intensity
- timing of punishment in response sequence
- availability of alternative response
how are avoidance responses developed and maintained usually?
- with anxiety
- very resistant to extinction
how can anxiety be reduced?
remaining in the provoking situation long enough to allow the conditioned anxiety to extinguish.
what is systematic desensitization?
- desensitization alters the valence of the conditioned stimuli so that they no longer elicit anxiety
- anxiety-eliciting conditioned stimuli are paired with non-anxiety states of the client
- relaxation training is usually used with this
what is flooding?
- exposes the individual to the anxiety-provoking stimuli in full intensity, and this may continue for several minutes or hours
- at some point, the anxiety starts to diminish (habituation)
- one can track this by monitoring physiological arousal (as well as a verbal report) and see that at first anxiety is very high (e.g., fast heart rate, shortness of breath, panic)
what is gradual exposure?
- presents individuals with a hierarchy of situations
- the individual works with the therapist to be exposed to low doses of anxiety or situations low on a hierarchy - - most commonly used technique
what did many exposure-based techniques come from?
classical conditioning.
what is experimental neurosis?
a procedure that leads to extreme agitation and anxiety.
