An extinction burst is a temporary increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of a behavior right after extinction begins. If a behavior used to get attention, an item, or an escape and suddenly stops working, the learner often tries harder before giving up. Extinction bursts are normal and expected, and how the team responds decides whether the behavior goes away or gets stronger.
What Is Extinction in ABA?
Extinction means no longer providing the reinforcement that has been maintaining a behavior. For example, if whining has been getting a learner attention, the team stops giving attention for whining. Implementing extinction is task D.4 on the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), and describing the secondary effects of extinction, such as extinction bursts, is task D.6. See the full guide: Extinction in ABA.
What Does an Extinction Burst Look Like?
- The behavior happens more often, such as asking for candy 20 times instead of 5.
- The behavior lasts longer, such as a 10-minute tantrum instead of 2 minutes.
- The behavior gets more intense, such as louder crying or throwing items.
- New behaviors may appear, such as aggression, sometimes called extinction-induced aggression.
Extinction Burst Examples
Attention-maintained behavior
A child calls out in class to get the teacher’s attention. The plan says to ignore call-outs and give attention for raised hands. For the first few days, the child calls out louder and more often. Because the teacher stays consistent, calling out then drops off.
Escape-maintained behavior
A learner throws materials to get out of tasks. Under escape extinction, the task stays in place. At first, throwing gets worse before it decreases.
An everyday example
You press the elevator button and nothing happens, so you press it again and again, harder each time. That surge in pressing is an extinction burst.
What Should an RBT Do During an Extinction Burst?
- Stay consistent. Follow the behavior plan exactly. Giving in during a burst teaches the learner that a bigger behavior works.
- Keep everyone safe. Follow the crisis and safety procedures in the plan if behavior becomes dangerous.
- Reinforce the replacement behavior. Extinction works best combined with differential reinforcement, such as DRA or FCT.
- Collect data. Record frequency, duration, and intensity so the BCBA can see the burst and the decrease that follows.
- Report to your supervisor. Tell your BCBA promptly, especially about new or dangerous behaviors.
Why consistency matters: If the behavior is reinforced during a burst, even once, it becomes intermittently reinforced. Intermittently reinforced behavior is harder to reduce than behavior that was reinforced every time.
Extinction Burst vs. Spontaneous Recovery
An extinction burst happens at the start of extinction. Spontaneous recovery is when a behavior that had already decreased suddenly reappears later, often after a break. Both are temporary if the team stays consistent.
How Long Does an Extinction Burst Last?
It varies by learner, behavior, and how long the behavior was reinforced before. Bursts often last a few sessions to a couple of weeks. Data helps the team see when the behavior starts to fall.
Studying for the RBT exam? Try our free RBT practice exam, and learn the related procedures in DRO vs. DRA vs. DRI.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an extinction burst?
A temporary increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of a behavior right after extinction begins, when the behavior no longer produces the reinforcement it used to.
Is an extinction burst a good sign?
It usually means extinction is working, because the behavior is no longer being reinforced. If the team stays consistent, the behavior typically decreases afterward.
How long does an extinction burst last?
It varies. Many bursts last a few sessions to a couple of weeks, depending on the learner and the history of reinforcement.
What is the difference between an extinction burst and spontaneous recovery?
An extinction burst happens at the start of extinction. Spontaneous recovery is the sudden return of a behavior that had already decreased.
What should an RBT do during an extinction burst?
Follow the behavior plan exactly, keep everyone safe, reinforce the replacement behavior, collect data, and report to the supervising BCBA.
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