Extinction
Overview
Extinction is the process by which a previously reinforced operant response decreases in frequency when the reinforcement contingency is removed. The subject continues to emit responses, but no reinforcer is delivered. Extinction is not unlearning — it represents new inhibitory learning that suppresses the original response. This is evidenced by spontaneous recovery (return of responding after a rest period), renewal (return of responding in the original context), and reinstatement (return of responding after non-contingent reinforcer delivery).
Extinction is central to understanding persistence of learned behavior and is the basis for exposure therapy in clinical psychology. The rate and pattern of extinction depend on the prior reinforcement history: intermittent schedules (VR, VI) produce greater resistance to extinction than continuous reinforcement (FR1). Extinction also produces characteristic emotional responses including extinction bursts (temporary increases in response rate and variability).
ConductMaze automates extinction protocols with real-time response rate monitoring, automated detection of extinction bursts, and calculation of resistance-to-extinction metrics. The software supports multi-session extinction designs with spontaneous recovery testing and can switch seamlessly between reinforcement and extinction phases within or across sessions.
Trial Flow
Baseline Phase
Optional: verify stable reinforced baseline before extinction
Extinction Onset
Reinforcement contingency removed, all other stimuli unchanged
Response Monitoring
Active and inactive responses recorded but not reinforced
Burst Detection
Is response rate above baseline? (extinction burst)
Criterion Check
Has response rate fallen below extinction criterion?
Session End
Session time limit reached or criterion met
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline Schedule | enum | FR1 | Reinforcement schedule used to establish responding before extinction |
| Baseline Sessions | integer | 5 | Number of reinforced sessions before extinction begins |
| Extinction Sessions | integer | 10 | Number of extinction sessions |
| Session Duration | seconds | 3600 | Duration of each extinction session |
| Extinction Criterion | integer | 10 | Responses per session below which extinction is considered complete |
| Cues Present | boolean | true | Whether conditioned cues (cue light, tones) remain present during extinction |
| Active Lever Side | enum | Right | Which lever was previously reinforced |
Metrics
| Metric | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Active Presses per Session | count | Total active lever presses per extinction session |
| Inactive Presses per Session | count | Total inactive lever presses per session |
| Sessions to Criterion | count | Number of sessions to reach extinction criterion |
| Extinction Burst Magnitude | presses | Peak response rate during extinction burst relative to baseline |
| Half-Life | sessions | Sessions to reach 50% of baseline response rate |
| Spontaneous Recovery Index | % | Percent recovery of responding at start of next session vs. end of prior session |
Sample Data
| Session | Active_Presses | Inactive_Presses | Rate_ppm | Pct_Baseline | Phase |
|---|
Representative data for illustration purposes. Actual values will vary by species, strain, and experimental conditions.
Applications
- 1Addiction research — modeling extinction of drug-seeking as the basis for relapse studies
- 2Exposure therapy analogue — translational model for extinction-based anxiety treatments
- 3Reinforcement history effects — comparing extinction after FR, VR, FI, VI baselines
- 4Memory reconsolidation — extinction within the reconsolidation window as a memory-updating tool
- 5Pharmacological enhancement — studying drugs that facilitate extinction (e.g., d-cycloserine)
Related Protocols
Compatible Products
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