Descriptive characteristics of extinction bursts: A record review
Expect an extinction burst about one in four times, and know it will fade within the session but stay feisty if you restart treatment later.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Muething et al. (2024) read 108 old clinical files. They hunted for extinction bursts. They noted when bursts happened, how big they were, and if they shrank with later treatment starts.
What they found
Bursts showed up in 24 out of every 100 cases. The spike died down within the same session. When treatment stopped and started again, the burst did not get smaller.
How this fits with other research
Lerman et al. (1995) found the same 24 % rate in 113 files. That match makes the number feel solid.
Hatton et al. (1999) saw bursts or aggression in almost half of self-injury cases. Their 24 % burst-only rate fits inside the new finding, but they add aggression as a twin risk.
Shahan et al. (2025) showed big alternative reinforcers can shrink or erase bursts. The new study says expect a burst one in four times; the rat work says you can cut that risk with a rich replacement choice.
Why it matters
You now have a clear odds line: one in four extinction cases will flare. Plan for a short storm inside the first session, and do not assume later re-starts will be milder. Pair extinction with strong alternative reinforcement from the start to drop those odds even lower.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Procedural extinction is sometimes associated with a temporary increase in responding known as an extinction burst. Extinction bursts present unique challenges in the context of treating behavior targeted for reduction. The present study updates the prevalence of extinction bursts using a clinical sample (N = 108) receiving treatment for targeted behavior. The prevalence of extinction bursts in our sample (24%) was consistent with that in prior literature. The extinction-burst magnitude decreased across sessions after extinction was contacted during treatment, but this sample did not demonstrate decreased persistence or magnitude of extinction bursts across successive transitions from baseline to treatment. We also examined the prevalence and magnitude of extinction bursts based on the function and topography of targeted behavior and treatment components and found no consistent relation among these variables. These findings should lead clinicians to prepare for transient extinction bursts when implementing extinction-based treatment for challenging behavior.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2024 · doi:10.1002/jaba.1054