A temporary increase in a behaviour right after it stops being reinforced, before it begins to genuinely fade.
An extinction burst is a temporary increase in a behaviour, right after that behaviour stops being reinforced. It's a normal, expected part of a behaviour fading out, not a sign that the plan has failed.
The classic example is a dog who jumps up for attention. If jumping used to get attention and suddenly stops working, the dog often jumps more, and more forcefully, for a short period before the behaviour starts to genuinely decrease.
Understanding extinction bursts matters most for consistency. If a behaviour briefly gets worse and a handler gives in, perhaps giving attention just to stop a particularly persistent bout of jumping, the dog learns that trying harder eventually works. This can make the behaviour more persistent in future, rather than less.
Working through an extinction burst means staying consistent with withholding whatever was previously reinforcing the behaviour, even while it temporarily increases, so the dog learns the behaviour genuinely no longer works.
Giving in during the burst, even once, is the most common way this goes wrong. It doesn't undo all previous progress, but it does teach the dog that persistence pays off, which can make the behaviour harder to reduce next time.
No, the opposite. A short term increase in the behaviour is often a sign the previous reinforcement has genuinely stopped, and the behaviour is on its way to reducing, provided the new approach is kept consistent.
It varies by dog and by behaviour, but it's typically a short term spike, often lasting a handful of attempts or a few sessions, before the behaviour begins to genuinely decrease.
Stay consistent and avoid reinforcing the behaviour, even though it may temporarily get more intense or more frequent. Giving in at this stage tends to make the behaviour more persistent going forward.
