Respondent Extinction

Respondent Extinction is the process in which a conditioned response gradually weakens and eventually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. Over time, the association between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus is diminished.

Example

A dog has learned to salivate when it hears a bell because the bell (conditioned stimulus) was repeatedly paired with food (unconditioned stimulus). If the bell is continuously rung without being followed by food, the dog’s salivation (conditioned response) will decrease over time and eventually stop. This reduction in the conditioned response is called respondent extinction.

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