Extinction
Learned responding may weaken when the relationship that supported it stops operating.
Definition
Extinction is the reduction of a learned response when a predicted event or reinforcing consequence repeatedly fails to follow as before.
How to understand it
In classical conditioning, the cue is presented without the event it previously predicted. In operant conditioning, the action no longer produces its former reinforcer. These procedures differ, but both change an established relationship. A response becoming less frequent for an unrelated reason is not enough to identify extinction.
Extinction does not mean that the original learning has been erased. Responding can return after time passes or the context changes. This distinction makes follow-up observations important. A quiet response during one session cannot establish what the learner would do later or in a different setting.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Conditioning and Learning, n.d.)
The discontinued preview button
Teaching scenario
Imagine a practice website where pressing a colored button previously revealed a new puzzle preview. The feature is discontinued while the button remains visible. A user initially presses repeatedly, then presses less across visits. This could illustrate operant extinction if preview access had maintained pressing. Returning weeks later and trying the button again would not prove that extinction never occurred. It would show why reduced responding and permanent loss of learning are different claims.
Constructed for learning. This scenario is not a report of an empirical finding or a diagnosis.
Common confusion: Forgetting
Extinction changes responding through a specific missing relationship; forgetting is a broader description of diminished access or performance.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Conditioning and Learning, n.d.)
Limits of the concept
- Response recovery depends on learning conditions and is not inevitable in every case.
- A temporary inability to perform an action does not demonstrate extinction.
Evidence: (Spielman et al., 2020); (Conditioning and Learning, n.d.)
Textbook connection
Direct coveragePsychology 2e: 6.2 Classical Conditioning
This section directly introduces or explains the concept.
Supplementary concepts may extend beyond this section. The source notes below identify the evidence for those details.
Related concepts
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Sources and inspection notes
Checked October 21, 2026. An inspection date is not a source publication date. Definitions and scenarios on this page are original teaching explanations.
- Conditioning and learning. (n.d.). https://nobaproject.com/modules/conditioning-and-learningSupplementary conceptual evidence
Academic module by Mark E. Bouton; accessed module text. Supports associative learning, consequences, extinction and stimulus control. Source checked 21 October 2026.
- Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/6-2-classical-conditioningIntroductory textbook explanation
This section directly introduces or explains the concept. Section opened and title verified on 21 October 2026.