Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 14, 2025
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
36.0K
Using Extinction to Increase Behavior: Capitalizing on Extinction-Induced Response Variability to Establish Mands
Mirela Cengher1, Nicholas H Ramazon2, Craig W Strohmeier2,3
1Department of Psychology, UMBC, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 USA.
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
|July 24, 2020
Summary
This study shows how to decrease harmful behaviors like aggression by using extinction-induced variability to increase appropriate communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Behaviors within a response class produce the same reinforcer, but some may be socially inappropriate.
- High rates of socially inappropriate behaviors like aggression can be problematic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of extinction-induced variability to increase socially appropriate behaviors.
- To decrease socially inappropriate behaviors within the same response class.
Main Methods:
- Applied extinction procedures to aggression and one-word mands in a 16-year-old female with autism spectrum disorder.
- Utilized extinction-induced variability to reinforce mands with autoclitic frames.
- Employed contingency reversals to manipulate reinforcement schedules.
Main Results:
- Extinction-induced variability increased response rates for reinforced behaviors.
- Differential reinforcement effectively increased appropriate communication.
- All tested response topographies were confirmed to be part of the same response class.
Conclusions:
- Extinction-induced variability can be leveraged to increase desired behaviors.
- This method effectively decreases socially inappropriate behaviors within the same response class.
- Provides empirical support for using extinction-induced variability in clinical practice.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction
1.2K
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
1.2K
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
349
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
349
01:06Law of Effect
2.3K
B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...
2.3K
01:21Behavior Modification
455
Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
455
01:24Reinforcement Schedules
365
Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
Once a behavior is learned,...
Once a behavior is learned,...
365
01:23Principles of Classical Conditioning
1.5K
Classical conditioning, as described by Ivan Pavlov, is a foundational concept in associative learning, where a neutral stimulus becomes capable of eliciting a conditioned response through association with an unconditioned stimulus. The process of acquisition, where this learning occurs, and the subsequent phenomena of contiguity, contingency, generalization, discrimination, extinction, and spontaneous recovery are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of classical conditioning.
During the...
During the...
1.5K