On the advice of the school psychologist, a teacher is trying to minimize the occurrence of a student's behavioral outbursts by ignoring the behavior. The teacher is using which of the following techniques?

• A. Positive reinforcement
• B. Extinction
• C. Time-out
• D. Punishment

Answer: (B)

Extinction is at work here: when a behavior is no longer reinforced, it tends to fade away. By ignoring the student’s outbursts, the teacher is removing the attention that the behavior previously produced. Without that reinforcement, the frequency of outbursts typically decreases over time. Be aware of an initial extinction burst, where the behavior may temporarily increase as the student tests whether attention will still be given. For best results, pair this with teaching a clear, appropriate way to seek attention and ensure consistency across staff so the behavior isn’t reinforced in any subtle way.