In behavior modification, ignoring the misbehavior to reduce its frequency is an example of which procedure?

• A. Time-out
• B. Withholding reinforcement
• C. Extinction
• D. Negative punishment

Answer: (C)

Extinction is in play when a behavior that used to be reinforced is no longer reinforced, causing the behavior to diminish over time. In this case, ignoring the misbehavior removes the attention (a common reinforcer) that maintained the behavior. Without that reinforcement, the frequency of the misbehavior tends to drop as the individual learns that it no longer produces the desired outcome. It’s worth noting that extinction can briefly produce an extinction burst—a short-term rise in behavior before it declines—and it works best when the reinforcement is consistently withheld and, ideally, when a more appropriate, reinforcing alternative behavior is encouraged. Time-out and negative punishment involve removing the person from reinforcement or removing a reinforcing stimulus for a period; they’re different procedures from simply ignoring the behavior to extinguish it.