Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
11:17
Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear
Published on: August 24, 2012
The Impact of Extinction for Alternative Responding on Vocal Behavior
Joel E Ringdahl1, Sandie M Bass-Ringdahl1, Maggie A Molony1
1University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
Behavior Modification
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Functional communication training (FCT) with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies may unexpectedly increase vocalizations in individuals with developmental disabilities. This vocal variability is discussed as extinction-induced behavior during challenging conditions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Developmental disabilities research
- Speech and language pathology
Background:
- Functional communication training (FCT) is a primary intervention for challenging behaviors in individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Recent research evaluates FCT under challenging conditions to mimic real-world treatment scenarios.
- Variability in responding, including vocalizations, has been observed during these challenging FCT conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report instances where vocal behavior emerged during Functional communication training (FCT) with alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) strategies.
- To explore the phenomenon of extinction-induced variability in vocal responding.
- To discuss the potential of AAC-based FCT to elicit vocal responses.
Main Methods:
- Three individuals with developmental disabilities participated in Functional communication training (FCT).
- Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) strategies were incorporated into the FCT protocol.
- Vocal behavior was monitored, although not the primary target variable.
Main Results:
- Variable vocal responding emerged in participants during FCT, despite vocal behavior not being the target.
- These vocalizations occurred under challenging conditions that approximated treatment difficulties.
- The observed vocal variability aligns with the concept of extinction-induced behavior.
Conclusions:
- Functional communication training (FCT) incorporating alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) may lead to increased vocalizations.
- Extinction-induced variability may explain the emergence of vocal behavior during FCT.
- AAC-based FCT interventions show potential for eliciting vocal responding in individuals with developmental disabilities.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction
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...
01:23Principles of Classical Conditioning
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...
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
00:54What is Behavior?
Behaviors are actions that an organism engages in—they can be related to finding food, reproducing, defending against threats, and many other possible actions. Behaviors include activities related to the environment around the animal—such as migration—as well as social interactions within a species or population. Many behaviors involve motor output—that is, muscle movements—while others involve less visible actions, such as learning.
01:05Instinctive Drift
Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors despite repeated reinforcement. Breland and Breland demonstrated this concept in an experiment with a raccoon. The raccoon was trained to pick up two coins and place them in a container in exchange for food. Initially, the raccoon learned to associate the coins with food, making them a conditioned stimulus or a substitute for food. However, over time, the raccoon became less willing to put the coins into the...
01:03Communication
Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.