Sustained behavioral contrast in children.

Waite et al. (1972) tested kids with a two-part schedule. In one part, pressing gave steady rewards. In the other part, pressing gave nothing.

They watched what happened when the no-reward part switched from giving rewards to giving zero rewards.

Kids pressed faster in the reward part once the other part turned into extinction. This jump stayed high for the whole session.

It was the first clean proof that behavioral contrast works in children, just like in pigeons.

Hilton et al. (2010) later used the same two-part trick to calm overly friendly adults with ID. A black lanyard told them “no attention here,” and their hugs dropped fast.

Capio et al. (2013) copied the idea with kids who have Angelman syndrome. A simple cue cut their run-up-and-hug behavior in half.

Galizio et al. (2018) pushed it further. They showed that when you stop rewarding variety, the variety itself drops and then bounces back—proof that extinction can shape creative behavior too.

You can use contrast in your favor. Put problem behavior on extinction in one setting while keeping rich rewards in another. The rewarded setting will grow even stronger, giving you a clear path to build replacement skills. Just add a simple cue—like a red card—to signal when the “no reward” part starts.