Example Of Reinforcement/Extinction Exemplar Essay

- Define the concept: 97 words
The concept of extinction basically means the withholding of rein forcers in a systemic way that has in the past have helped in maintaining behaviour. It is a general misconception that extinction is similar to ignoring and elimination whereas in reality this is not the truth. If the frequency of reinforcement for behaviour is high, then it is more likely that the behaviour of that specific person will extinguish at a much faster pace. In such cases, as the deprivation level for the reinforcement is poor or nil altogether, extinction of behaviour occurs as a direct result.
- Provide an example of the concept: 108 words
Evan used to cry a lot and throw tantrums, whenever his mother instructs him to study the classroom lessons at home. Evan’s mother unable to bear the tantrums used to close the book and allow him to play for one hour. Gradually, his mother noticed that in spite of allowing Evan to play, he is repeating the act during his study hours every day. Evan’s mother one day chooses to ignore his crying and went to resume her household chores without permitting him to play outside. The same thing continues for some more days and Evan’s unacceptable behavior during study hours extinct altogether within a next few weeks.
- Apply the definition (step 1) to your example (step 2): 50 words
The above example demonstrates behavior extinction as the child Evan is subjected to two behaviors. First, immediate attention by his mother who allows him to play and thus he gets a respite from his studies. Next is the complete ignoring by his mother that subsequently extinct his wrongful behavior gradually.