Extinction vs. Differential Reinforcement:

• Extinction: Eliminates a behavior by removing the reinforcers that previously maintained it. The behavior weakens and eventually disappears as it no longer leads to desired consequences.
• Differential Reinforcement: Strengthens alternative behaviors by providing reinforcement for them while withholding reinforcement for the target behavior. This encourages the individual to choose the reinforced alternatives over the unwanted behavior.

Independent Applications:

• Extinction can work alone: Imagine a child throwing toys for attention. If the caregiver consistently ignores the tantrums (extinction), the behavior may decrease without any specific alternative being reinforced.
• Differential Reinforcement can work alone: Consider a student who speaks out in class to get attention. Offering extra praise and rewards for raising their hand and asking questions (differential reinforcement) can promote desired behavior without directly targeting the speaking out.

Example:

A child engages in food throwing at mealtimes to escape. The therapist implements extinction by calmly removing the child from the table (removing the reinforcing attention) each time they throw food. Simultaneously, the therapist provides frequent praise and positive reinforcement for appropriate eating behaviors (differential reinforcement). This combined approach weakens the food throwing while strengthening preferred alternatives.

Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR):

NCR involves providing reinforcement independent of the target behavior. It can play various roles in extinction:

• Reduce anxiety and distress: NCR can alleviate the emotional discomfort associated with extinction, making the process more manageable for both the client and the therapist.
• Maintain engagement: In some cases, NCR can help maintain client engagement during extinction, especially if the target behavior is highly reinforced in other contexts.
• Facilitate alternative behavior: NCR can strengthen existing alternative behaviors, making them more competitive with the target behavior during extinction.

NCR Cautions:

• Overuse can inadvertently reinforce the target behavior: Frequent or unpredictable NCR can become a competing reinforcer, delaying the effects of extinction.
• NCR should not replace differential reinforcement: NCR should supplement differential reinforcement, not replace it. It’s crucial to explicitly reinforce desired alternative behaviors for effective change.

Conclusion:

Extinction, differential reinforcement, and NCR are valuable tools in ABA therapy. Understanding their individual functions and potential interactions allows for tailored interventions that optimize behavior change. While they often work in tandem, extinction can and does effectively address unwanted behaviors even without differential reinforcement, and NCR offers additional support within the extinction process.