Free · 2026 · ABA behavior reduction for the RBT exam Extinction burst: what it is, what it looks like on a graph, and what to do
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in a behavior right after it stops being reinforced: the behavior happens more often, lasts longer or gets more intense before it starts to fade. It happens during extinction, the ABA procedure that withholds the reinforcer that kept a behavior going. For example, when a parent stops giving in to whining for candy, the whining often gets louder and longer for a few days. The burst is a sign the behavior no longer pays off, so the person tries harder before giving it up, and giving in at that moment teaches that a bigger version of the behavior works. Bursts aren't guaranteed: in a review of 113 extinction data sets, one appeared in 24% of cases, less often when extinction was combined with other procedures (12%) than when it was used alone (36%). Extinction is task D.4 and the extinction burst is part of task D.6 on the 3rd edition RBT Test Content Outline. Below: a burst on an ABA graph, extinction for each function, the other side effects of extinction, what to do during a burst, and a free 12-question drill with answers.
- What it isA temporary increase in a behavior's frequency, duration or intensity once it stops being reinforced.
- When it happensRight after extinction starts. In one review, in about a quarter of cases.
- What to doKeep withholding the reinforcer, keep everyone safe, reinforce the replacement and tell your supervisor.
An extinction burst on a graph
This is how a burst looks in session data: a baseline, then a phase line where extinction starts. Switch between the four lines to see a burst, what giving in does, spontaneous recovery, and extinction with a replacement behavior.
Extinction burst. When extinction starts, the behavior jumps above baseline for a couple of sessions, then fades. That jump is the extinction burst. Keep withholding the reinforcer and it passes.
Illustrative data, not from a real client. The line breaks at the phase line, as ABA graphs do.
What is extinction in ABA?
Extinction means the reinforcer that has maintained a behavior no longer follows it, so the behavior stops paying off. Nothing is added or taken away, which is what separates it from punishment. Because it withholds that specific reinforcer, extinction has to match the behavior's function. Ignoring works only for behavior maintained by attention.
| Function | What extinction looks like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | No attention for the behavior: no eye contact, talking or reaction (planned ignoring), while keeping everyone safe | Whining for a parent's attention gets no response. |
| Escape | The demand stays: the behavior no longer gets the learner out of the task (escape extinction) | After throwing the worksheet, the learner still finishes the work, with prompts as the plan says. |
| Tangible | The item or activity doesn't come after the behavior | Crying for the tablet doesn't produce the tablet. |
| Automatic (sensory) | The sensory consequence is blocked or reduced (sensory extinction) | Carpeting a table so spinning a plate on it no longer makes a sound. |
Not sure what a behavior gets? Our functions of behavior guide walks through the four functions with an ABC checker. Extinction is usually paired with reinforcing a replacement behavior: see differential reinforcement (DRA, DRI, DRO, DRL). And a behavior that was reinforced only some of the time takes longer to extinguish than one reinforced every time: see schedules of reinforcement.
Extinction burst vs spontaneous recovery, resurgence and other side effects
Task D.6 asks RBTs to describe the secondary effects of extinction. They are easy to mix up, so the timing is the clue: the burst comes when extinction starts, spontaneous recovery comes after the behavior had stopped, and resurgence comes when the replacement stops working.
| Effect | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Extinction burst | A temporary increase in how often, how long or how intensely the behavior happens, right after extinction starts | Whining for candy gets louder and longer for a few days. |
| Response variation | New or different behaviors appear when the old one stops working | When yelling stops working, the learner throws items, then pulls the RBT's sleeve. |
| Emotional responding | Crying, frustration or aggression when the reinforcer stops coming (extinction-induced aggression) | The learner hits the RBT when the tablet doesn't come. |
| Resurgence | An extinguished behavior comes back when the replacement behavior stops being reinforced | Hitting returns when staff stop honoring the break card. |
| Spontaneous recovery | The behavior reappears for a while after it had stopped, though it still gets no reinforcer | One bedtime tantrum after a weekend, weeks after they had ended. |
How common are extinction bursts?
Less common than most people expect. Lerman and Iwata (1995) reviewed 113 sets of extinction data and found a burst in 24% of cases. Bursts were rarer when extinction was combined with other procedures, such as reinforcing a replacement behavior, than when extinction was the only intervention: 12% vs 36%. A later review of 41 data sets for self-injury (Lerman, Iwata and Wallace, 1999) found bursts or increased aggression in nearly half of the cases, and substantially fewer when extinction was part of a treatment package. The practical lesson for an RBT: plan for a burst, and expect it less when the learner has another way to get the reinforcer.
What to do during an extinction burst
- Expect itA good plan warns that the behavior may get worse before it gets better, and says what to do. Read that part before the session.
- Don't give inGiving the reinforcer during the burst teaches that a bigger version of the behavior works, and makes it last longer.
- Keep everyone safeIf the burst includes aggression or self-injury, follow the plan's safety and crisis steps. Safety comes before extinction.
- Reinforce the replacementKeep reinforcing the alternative behavior the plan names (DRA, FCT), so the learner has a way to get what they want.
- Record the dataTake data as usual. The burst shows up in the data, and that is how your supervisor sees it fade, or not.
- Tell your supervisorReport a burst promptly, and right away if there is aggression, injury, or a burst that doesn't fade. The BCBA decides whether to change the plan.
Extinction practice: 12 questions with answers
Scenarios like the ones on the RBT exam: name the side effect, pick the extinction that fits the function, and what to do. The reason shows after each answer.
Question 1 of 12 · 0 right so far
On the first day of planned ignoring for attention-maintained whining, the whining jumps from about 10 times a session to 25, and it's louder. What is this?
Extinction on the RBT exam
On the 3rd edition RBT Test Content Outline, Behavior Reduction is 14 of the 75 scored questions. Extinction is task D.4, and its secondary effects (extinction burst, response variation, resurgence, emotional responding) are task D.6, next to identifying functions (D.1) and differential reinforcement (D.3). Expect scenarios that ask what a behavior change is called, or which extinction fits a function.
- Extinction withholds the reinforcer that maintains the behavior, so it has to match the function. Ignoring escape-maintained behavior isn't extinction.
- Extinction isn't punishment: nothing is added or taken away, the behavior just stops paying off.
- The burst comes when extinction starts. A behavior returning weeks later, after it had stopped, is spontaneous recovery.
- Resurgence is tied to the replacement: the old behavior returns when the alternative stops being reinforced.
- Giving in during a burst reinforces a bigger version of the behavior.
- Planned ignoring is extinction only for attention-maintained behavior.
On the 2026 competency assessment
Task 14 of the RBT Initial Competency Assessment asks you to show one of an antecedent intervention, differential reinforcement or extinction, with a client or in role-play. If you pick extinction, practice naming the function first and withholding that reinforcer consistently. Our RBT competency assessment guide has a role-play for each of the 19 tasks.
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Extinction burst FAQ
What is an extinction burst?
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in a behavior right after it stops being reinforced: the behavior happens more often, lasts longer or gets more intense before it starts to fade. It happens during extinction, when the reinforcer that kept the behavior going is withheld.
What is an example of an extinction burst?
A child whines for candy at the checkout, and the parent has always given in. The day the parent stops giving candy for whining, the whining gets louder and longer, maybe with crying or stomping. If the parent keeps not giving in, the whining fades over the following days.
How long does an extinction burst last?
There's no set length. It depends on how long and how often the behavior was reinforced and on how consistently everyone withholds the reinforcer. Giving in, even once, can make it last longer. The session data show your supervisor when it is fading.
Is an extinction burst a good sign?
It is a sign the behavior no longer pays off: the person tries harder before giving it up. But a burst isn't required for extinction to work. In one review of 113 extinction data sets, bursts appeared in 24% of cases.
What is the difference between an extinction burst and spontaneous recovery?
An extinction burst happens when extinction starts: the behavior increases before it decreases. Spontaneous recovery happens later: after the behavior has stopped, it briefly comes back, even though it still gets no reinforcer. Both fade if the reinforcer stays withheld.
What is extinction in ABA?
Extinction is withholding the reinforcer that has maintained a behavior, so the behavior no longer produces it. It has to match the function: no attention for attention-maintained behavior, the demand stays for escape-maintained behavior, no item for tangible-maintained behavior, and blocking the sensory consequence for automatic reinforcement.
Is extinction the same as ignoring?
Only for attention-maintained behavior. Ignoring a behavior that gets the person out of a task, or gets them an item, doesn't withhold the reinforcer, so the behavior is still reinforced.
What should an RBT do during an extinction burst?
Keep following the behavior plan: don't give the reinforcer, follow the plan's safety steps if the burst includes aggression or self-injury, keep reinforcing the replacement behavior, record data as usual, and tell the supervising BCBA promptly.
Sources, checked October 28, 2026: BACB: RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) · BACB: RBT Initial Competency Assessment (2026) · Lerman & Iwata (1995): Prevalence of the extinction burst and its attenuation during treatment, JABA · Lerman, Iwata & Wallace (1999): Side effects of extinction, JABA · Cooper, Heron & Heward: Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed., 2020). For exam study, not clinical guidance: your supervising BCBA decides when and how extinction is used, and RBTs carry out the plan as written.