What is an extinction burst?

• A. A temporary decrease in behavior when reinforcement stops.
• B. The learned response becomes completely permanent.
• C. A behavior that gets worse before getting better.
• D. Behavior disappears immediately once reinforcement stops.

Answer: (C)

An extinction burst is a temporary surge in a behavior that occurs when reinforcement is removed. When you stop rewarding a previously reinforced behavior, the animal often responds more intensely, more frequently, or for a longer duration for a short period as it “tests” whether reinforcement might still occur or as frustration builds. After this brief spike, the behavior typically starts to decline as the extinction process takes effect.

This is why the correct answer describes the behavior as getting worse before getting better. It captures the common real-world pattern in extinction: an initial increase, followed by a gradual decrease in the target behavior.

The other possibilities don’t fit because extinction is not an immediate drop in behavior, nor does it make the response permanent right away, nor does it cause the behavior to disappear instantly the moment reinforcement stops. In practice, you may also see the possibility of spontaneous recovery later, but that doesn’t negate the momentary burst that often occurs when reinforcement stops.