Extinction Burst
A temporary increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of a behaviour when extinction is first implemented.
When you suddenly remove reinforcement, a behaviour gets worse before it gets better. This predictable spike is an extinction burst. The learner tries harder, longer, or louder to access the reinforcement they used to get easily.
Extinction bursts frustrate caregivers and often involve new topographies - a child who previously cried might start throwing items. If you reinforce the behaviour during a burst, you teach the learner that escalating their behaviour works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an extinction burst?
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of a behaviour that happens when the reinforcement maintaining it is first withheld. The behaviour gets worse before it gets better, as the learner tries harder to access the reinforcement they used to get.
What is an extinction burst in psychology?
In psychology and behaviour analysis it describes the predictable spike that follows extinction: when a previously reinforced response stops being reinforced, responding briefly escalates before it declines.
Can you give an extinction burst example?
A child whose checkout tantrums used to earn sweets will often tantrum harder and longer the first few times the sweets stop coming. That escalation is the extinction burst - and reinforcing it during the burst teaches the child that escalating works.