Which statement best describes Extinction Burst?

Which statement best describes Extinction Burst?

• A. It is a period of decreased behavior frequency after extinction
• B. It occurs when reinforcement schedules switch
• C. It is an increased frequency of the behavior just before extinction
• D. It is the sleep stage following training

Answer: (C)

Extinction burst is the temporary surge in responding that happens when reinforcement is no longer provided. When you stop rewarding a behavior that previously earned reinforcement, the individual often escalates the behavior briefly in an attempt to obtain the reward, which shows up as an increased frequency (the burst) at the start of extinction. After this brief spike, the behavior typically begins to decline as the animal learns that reinforcement is no longer forthcoming. This makes the statement that describes an increased frequency of the behavior during the extinction process the best fit. The other ideas don’t match what extinction burst is: a decrease in behavior after extinction is not the burst, a switch in reinforcement schedules is a different concept, and a sleep stage has no relation to extinction.

Extinction burst is the temporary surge in responding that happens when reinforcement is no longer provided. When you stop rewarding a behavior that previously earned reinforcement, the individual often escalates the behavior briefly in an attempt to obtain the reward, which shows up as an increased frequency (the burst) at the start of extinction. After this brief spike, the behavior typically begins to decline as the animal learns that reinforcement is no longer forthcoming.

This makes the statement that describes an increased frequency of the behavior during the extinction process the best fit. The other ideas don’t match what extinction burst is: a decrease in behavior after extinction is not the burst, a switch in reinforcement schedules is a different concept, and a sleep stage has no relation to extinction.