Operant Extinction in the Treatment of Severe Maladaptive Behavior

Abstract

Operant extinction involves termination of reinforcement for a previously reinforced response. As a clinical intervention for severe maladaptive behavior operant extinction is often repudiated because of intensity of side effects, length of treatment time required, and implementation difficulties. This article discusses both theoretical and practical aspects of extinction, including components of the extinction process and the importance of functional assessment to its effective use. Potential strategies for increasing the effectiveness of extinction while diminishing intrusiveness are recommended. Based on recent research innovations, a technology is emerging for effective use of operant extinction in the treatment of severe maladaptive behavior.

Developing a Technology for the Use of Operant Extinction in Clinical Settings: An Examination of Basic and Applied Research

“…Lerman and Iwata (1995) examined the prevalence of the extinction burst in 113 sets of data and further noted that the occurrence of bursting was reduced when extinction was combined with other treatment components. These findings suggest that treatment with extinction should be implemented in conjunction with NCR, DRA, or DRO as recommended by various authors (e.g., Ducharme & Van Houten, 1994;Kazdin, 1994). On the other hand, these results also indicate that reinforcement delivery should be withheld if maintenance of appropriate behavior during extinction is the desired outcome.…”

“…However, further progress in the treatment of behavior disorders, as well as in the development of adaptive behavior, could be achieved through the development of a comprehensive, general technology for the use of extinction. The objective of this paper is to extend the most recent review on the use of extinction to treat behavior disorders (Ducharme & Van Houten, 1994) by providing a broader overview of basic research findings; discussing the relevance of extinction to the acquisition, main-tenance, and generalization of behavior; and presenting detailed suggestions for future research.…”

“…The extinction burst is the most frequently noted characteristic of extinction in applied texts and literature reviews (e.g., Ducharme & Van Houten, 1994;Kazdin, 1994;Martin & Pear, 1992) and has been observed as a temporary increase in response frequency in a number of clinical studies (e.g., France & Hudson, 1990;Iwata, Pace, Kalsher, Cowdery, & Cataldo, 1990;Laws, Brown, Epstein, & Hocking, 1971;Neisworth & Moore, 1972;Salend & Meddaugh, 1985). In nearly all of these cases, the burst was relatively brief (lasting a few sessions) and caused no notable problems.…”

“…In nearly all of these cases, the burst was relatively brief (lasting a few sessions) and caused no notable problems. Clinicians are often cautioned to expect bursting during treatment (e.g., Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987;Drabman & Jarvie, 1977), advised about ways to ensure the safety of the individual and others while continuing treatment (e.g., Ducharme & Van Houten, 1994), and urged to implement alternative treatments when potential bursts are considered unmanageable (e.g., Benoit & Mayer, 1974). However, the extinction burst may not be as common as previously assumed.…”

“…Although many texts and articles on application suggest that combining extinction with other procedures, such as NCR, DRA, and DRO, decreases resistance to extinction and the likelihood of other undesirable indirect effects (e.g., Ducharme & Van Houten, 1994;Kazdin, 1994;Martin & Pear, 1992), few applied studies have directly compared the effects of extinction with and without alternative procedures. Nevertheless, results of these studies have replicated those of basic research, suggesting that combining extinction with NCR, DRA, DRO, or punishment can decrease resistance to extinction.…”