Definition

1. Noun:
   • A learning process in behavioral psychology: "Experimental extinction" refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the previously associated unconditioned stimulus or reinforcer.

Usage

• In behavioral psychology and learning theory: The term is used specifically to describe the observed phenomenon and procedure in conditioning experiments where a learned response diminishes.
• Key characteristic: The process involves the removal of reinforcement following the conditioned stimulus, leading to a decrease in the conditioned response over time.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After the tone was repeatedly sounded without the food, the dogs' salivation showed experimental extinction.
  • The researcher's study focused on the rate of experimental extinction for the fear response.

Advanced Usage

• "To undergo experimental extinction": to be in the process where a conditioned response is fading due to non-reinforcement.

  • The learned behavior began to undergo experimental extinction once the rewards stopped.

• "Resistance to experimental extinction": a measure of how persistent a conditioned response is when reinforcement is withheld.

  • Behaviors reinforced on a variable schedule often show greater resistance to experimental extinction.

Variants and Related Words

• Extinction (n): In psychology, often used synonymously with "experimental extinction," though it can have broader meanings in other fields like biology.

  • The extinction of the conditioned reflex was complete.

• Extinguish (v): To cause a conditioned response to diminish through experimental extinction.

  • The goal was to extinguish the phobic reaction through controlled exposure.

Synonyms

• Response extinction: The diminishing of a specific learned response.
• Conditioned extinction: Emphasizes the extinction of a conditioned response.

Related Concepts

• Spontaneous recovery: The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period, often studied in contrast to experimental extinction.
• Acquisition: The initial learning phase of the conditioned response, which precedes experimental extinction.

Noun

1. a conditioning process in which the reinforcer is removed and a conditioned response becomes independent of the conditioned stimulus