Kind Extinction: A Procedural Variation on Traditional Extinction

Tarbox et al. (2023) tested a softer kind of extinction. While the child still lost escape or tangibles for problem behavior, the adult also gave warm, genuine praise right after the same behavior.

The team ran a single-case design with participants whose diagnoses were not listed. They tracked how fast interfering behavior dropped and how much appropriate behavior rose.

Problem behavior fell quickly and sharply. At the same time, alternative behavior climbed.

Parents and teachers rated the procedure as highly acceptable. They liked that the adult stayed kind during extinction.

Older classroom studies already paired extinction with teacher attention. Hall et al. (1971) cut talking-out by withholding teacher chatter and praising hand-raising. Zimmerman et al. (1962) did the same with two emotionally-disturbed boys. Tarbox keeps the extinction half, but flips the timing: praise now comes right after the very behavior you want to stop.

Robertson et al. (2013) showed teachers can run trial-based FAs and then apply extinction plus differential reinforcement. Kind extinction extends that line by adding social validation; staff feel better because the child still hears something nice.

Azrin (1970) found that a short warning before extinction lowers burst size. Tarbox achieves a similar softening, but with a social reward instead of an instruction.

You no longer have to choose between fast behavior reduction and a warm therapeutic vibe. By giving brief, genuine positive regard during escape or tangible extinction, you can keep the procedure humane and still see big, quick gains. Try it next time a client screams for breaks or toys: withhold the reinforcer, then immediately say something truly kind about the child. Track the data—you may see the same steep drop without the icy silence that usually comes with extinction.