extinction burst

Meaning: In operant conditioning, extinction means a previously reinforced behavior stops being followed by its reinforcer, so the behavior gradually becomes less frequent. Right after the reinforcer is removed, though, the behavior often becomes more frequent, more intense, or more varied for a short time. That spike is the extinction burst. The learner is, in effect, trying harder to get a reward that used to follow the behavior. If reinforcement stays absent, responding typically declines afterward. If the behavior is reinforced during the burst, it is strengthened and can become harder to extinguish.

On the MCAT: A passage describes a child who throws tantrums to get candy and a parent who stops giving in. The question asks what happens first: the tantrums typically get worse before they fade. It may be paired with the partial reinforcement effect, in which behaviors learned on variable-ratio or variable-interval schedules resist extinction longer than those learned with continuous reinforcement.

Common confusion: A burst does not mean extinction has failed; it is an expected early stage. Do not confuse it with spontaneous recovery, which is the reappearance of an extinguished response after a rest period, well after the initial decline. The burst comes immediately when reinforcement stops.