Extinction Burst refers to

• A. The behavior becomes more persistent but less effective
• B. The behavior extinguishes instantly
• C. The behavior is unaffected by extinction
• D. The behavior gets worse before it gets better

Answer: (D)

Extinction burst is the temporary spike in a behavior that occurs when reinforcement for that behavior is removed. When you stop rewarding a response, the learner often increases how often or how intensely they perform it as they search for the missing reinforcement. This surge is a normal part of extinction and doesn’t mean the process has failed; it’s a brief, expected reaction before the behavior declines.

The reason this is the best description is that it captures the immediate, short-lived escalation that can happen after reinforcement stops, followed by a gradual decrease as the behavior no longer yields the desired outcome. It’s not that extinction happens instantly, nor that the behavior remains unaffected; it’s the initial uptick in response during the extinction process.