Attention extinction
An extinction procedure for attention-maintained behavior in which the problem behavior no longer produces attention from others.
When problem behavior is maintained by social attention, attention extinction means the behavior no longer produces that attention. The RBT and others avoid eye contact, comments, reprimands, explanations, facial reactions and physical contact following the behavior. The session continues as normally as possible. This is often carried out through planned ignoring.
Attention extinction requires everyone to be consistent. If one person still reacts some of the time, the behavior is being reinforced intermittently and may become more persistent. It also requires the RBT to manage their own reactions, since a small laugh, sigh or glance can be enough to reinforce the behavior. Extinction bursts are common at first, so the behavior may get worse before it improves.
Attention extinction is only appropriate for behavior maintained by attention and only when the behavior can be safely ignored. If the behavior is dangerous, the plan will describe how to keep people safe with minimal attention, such as blocking without talking. It is usually paired with plenty of attention for appropriate behavior, often through noncontingent attention or DRA, so the client still receives attention, just not for problem behavior.
The RBT follows the written procedure, records the behavior, and tells the supervisor if others in the environment are still giving attention for it.
Example and non-example
| Example | A child says rude words to get a reaction. The plan says not to respond to rude words and to give attention for polite talk, so the RBT continues the game without reacting to rude words and responds warmly when the child asks politely. |
|---|---|
| Non-example | A client screams to escape a task, and the RBT ignores the screaming while letting the client walk away from the table. The behavior is escape-maintained, and it still ends the task, so withholding attention is not extinction here. |
Don't confuse it with
| Planned ignoring | Planned ignoring is the act of withholding attention; attention extinction is the result when that attention is the reinforcer maintaining the behavior. |
|---|---|
| Time-out (from positive reinforcement) | Time-out removes access to reinforcement in general for a period of time, while attention extinction withholds attention after the specific behavior. |
Test yourself
-
Question 1A plan for attention-maintained screaming tells the RBT to withhold attention when the client screams. Each time the client screams, the RBT says, "Please use a quiet voice." What is the main risk of this error?
Show answer
B: The screaming may keep being reinforced by the attention. A verbal reminder is attention. When attention follows screaming that is maintained by attention, the behavior continues to contact reinforcement and the extinction component is not actually in place.
- A: For attention-maintained behavior, a reminder is likely to reinforce screaming rather than reduce it.
- C: Nothing in the scenario removes other reinforcers; the problem is reinforcing the target behavior.
- D: The error is in implementation; it does not by itself change how two observers record screaming.
Task A.8 · 40-hour curriculum section E
-
Question 2In an FCT plan for attention, the client hits the RBT. The plan says to block, keep everyone safe and give no attention for hitting. Which action, for the rest of the session, also follows the plan?
Show answer
A: Honoring the taught request whenever the client uses it. In FCT, problem behavior no longer produces the reinforcer, while the taught communication response continues to produce it as the plan states.
- B: Attention after hitting would reinforce hitting.
- C: Withholding reinforcement for the taught request weakens the replacement behavior and is not part of the plan.
- D: A reprimand is attention and could reinforce hitting.
Task D.3 · 40-hour curriculum section E · RBT Ethics Code 2.02
-
Question 3A functional assessment showed that a 6-year-old's loud silly words are maintained by adult laughter and comments. The supervisor's plan puts this behavior on attention extinction. The child shouts a silly word during a puzzle. What should the RBT do?
Show answer
C: Keep the puzzle going without any reaction to the shouting. Attention extinction means the target behavior no longer produces attention: no eye contact, comments or facial reactions. The RBT keeps the activity going and saves attention for appropriate behavior.
- A: A calm comment is still attention, which is the reinforcer the plan says to withhold.
- B: That is time-out, which is not in the plan; the RBT must implement the procedure as written.
- D: Delivering a preferred item right after shouting can reinforce the shouting.
Task D.4 · 40-hour curriculum section E
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task D.4 Extinction in content area D, Behavior Reduction, which is 14 of the 75 scored questions.