Definition
Extinction is the procedure of withholding the reinforcer that previously maintained a behavior. It produces an extinction burst — a short-term increase in frequency, intensity, or variability — followed by a gradual decrease.
Extinction is functionally specific. Extinguishing an attention-maintained behavior means withholding attention; extinguishing an escape-maintained behavior means not allowing escape from the demand. Using the wrong extinction operation makes the procedure ineffective or unsafe.