Which intervention reduces problem behavior by removing the consequence that maintains it?

Which intervention reduces problem behavior by removing the consequence that maintains it?

• A. Noncontingent reinforcement
• B. Extinction
• C. Differential reinforcement
• D. Time-out

Answer: (B)

Extinction reduces problem behavior by withholding the consequence that has been maintaining it. When a behavior has been reinforced in the past, it continues because that reinforcement is still being provided after the behavior. If you stop delivering that reinforcing outcome, the behavior tends to decrease over time because the motivating consequence is no longer available. In this scenario, the intervention that fits is withholding the reinforcing consequence that followed the problem behavior, so the behavior no longer produces reinforcement and its occurrence declines. For example, if a child taps the teacher for attention and attention is no longer given following the taps, the tapping behavior is unlikely to continue. Other approaches change the relation to reinforcement without removing the maintained outcome itself: noncontingent reinforcement gives reinforcement on a schedule regardless of the behavior, which can reduce problem behavior but does not stop delivering the specific consequence that was maintaining it; time-out briefly removes access to reinforcement after the behavior, which can decrease behavior but does so by limiting reinforcement opportunities rather than eliminating the maintaining consequence; differential reinforcement strengthens an alternative or other behaviors rather than eliminating the reinforcing function of the original behavior.

Extinction reduces problem behavior by withholding the consequence that has been maintaining it. When a behavior has been reinforced in the past, it continues because that reinforcement is still being provided after the behavior. If you stop delivering that reinforcing outcome, the behavior tends to decrease over time because the motivating consequence is no longer available.

In this scenario, the intervention that fits is withholding the reinforcing consequence that followed the problem behavior, so the behavior no longer produces reinforcement and its occurrence declines. For example, if a child taps the teacher for attention and attention is no longer given following the taps, the tapping behavior is unlikely to continue.

Other approaches change the relation to reinforcement without removing the maintained outcome itself: noncontingent reinforcement gives reinforcement on a schedule regardless of the behavior, which can reduce problem behavior but does not stop delivering the specific consequence that was maintaining it; time-out briefly removes access to reinforcement after the behavior, which can decrease behavior but does so by limiting reinforcement opportunities rather than eliminating the maintaining consequence; differential reinforcement strengthens an alternative or other behaviors rather than eliminating the reinforcing function of the original behavior.