An ExtinctionExtinction is a behavioral intervention where reinforcement ... More Burst refers to a temporary increase in the frequencyFrequencyย orย Countย is a simple measure of how often a par... More, intensity, or durationDurationย refers to the total amount of time a specificย beh... More of a behaviorBehaviorย refers to any activity or action that living organ... More when the reinforcement that previously maintained the behavior is first removed. This occurs when a behavior that was once reinforced no longer receives the expected reinforcement, leading the individual to escalate the behavior in an attempt to regain that reinforcement before it eventually decreases.
Example:
A child throws tantrums to get a candy bar at the grocery store. The parent decides to implement extinction by no longer giving the child candy when a tantrum occurs. Initially, the child may scream louder, cry harder, or even throw more frequent tantrumsโthis escalation is the extinction burst. If the parent continues to withhold reinforcement (the candy), the tantrums will eventually decrease over time.