There are a few important distinctions. Response blocking is a punishment procedure that prevents the behavior from occurring. It literally stops the behavior in its tracks. Since that response is blocked, it is prevented from occurring. Which in turn, prevents that behavior from contacting reinforcement. For example, if you can’t open the refrigerator, then you cannot get the junk food inside. That is the important takeaway.

Versus extinction. This is a reduction procedure. The behavior must still occur, only here, the reinforcement that typically follows that particular behavior is no longer delivered. It’s withheld. This is another important distinction with extinction. The reinforcement is related to the function of the behavior we are trying to eliminate. With extinction, you need to know the function of the behavior. You don’t need to know the function with response blocking. With extinction, the behavior is not blocked. It must still happen.

Key takeaways:

In response blocking, the behavior does not occur. It is blocked. The refrigerator is locked and you cannot open it. The response is blocked and therefore you can’t access the reinforcer– the junk food. The function of the behavior is not a consideration with response blocking or any punishment procedure for that matter.

Extinction, on the other hand, we have to know the function of the behavior and the behavior must occur. What does not occur is the delivery of whatever reinforcement that is maintaining the behavior. In this case, you open the refrigerator, you still do the behavior but unlike the usual, there is no junk food in there.

Both of these procedures are used for decreasing and eliminating behaviors. And both keep the reinforcement away. But with response blocking, you do not contact reinforcement because you do not get to do the behavior. Versus with extinction, the behavior occurs but it is no longer effective because it no longer contacts that expected reinforcement.

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Respondent extinction

When a previously neutral stimulus that was paired with an unconditioned stimulus to become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus, and…

Positive reinforcement extinction

A process where the maintaining positive reinforcer no longer follows a specific behavior, resulting in that behavior decreasing and eventually ceasing.

Operant extinction

A process where a maintaining reinforcer is no longer provided, and the behavior that has been maintained by that reinforcer decreases and eventually ceases.

Negative reinforcement extinction

A process where the maintaining negative reinforcer no longer follows a specific behavior, resulting in that behavior decreasing and eventually ceasing.

Automatic reinforcement extinction

A process where the maintaining automatic reinforcer no longer follows a specific behavior, resulting in that behavior decreasing and eventually ceasing.

Punishment

A stimulus change following a behavior that results in that behavior occurring less often or not at all in the future.

Positive punishment

A process that occurs when the addition of a stimulus immediately following a behavior results in a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior.

Negative punishment

A process that occurs when a response is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of a stimulus) that results in a decrease…

Discriminative effects of punishment

When a behavior occurs less often (or not at all) in the presence of certain conditions (SDp).

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Consequence

A stimulus change that comes after a behavior.

Automaticity of reinforcement and punishment

The phenomenon that behavior is modified by consequences, even if a person is unaware of the contingency.

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Surrogate MO (CMO-S)

A type of conditioned motivating operation that is established when a previously neutral stimulus acquires its evocative and value-altering effect by having been paired with an unconditioned motivating operation.

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PTB MiniBig: Fast, Flexible, and Focused Exam Prep

The PTB MiniBig enables BCBA® exam prep candidates to tailor their study needs by popping in on single sessions of the intensive PTB Big Exam Prep Workshop. Each 3.5-hour session, focused on specific sections of the Task List, includes a mock exam followed by real-time, live, interactive feedback and access to live session replays, without committing to the full workshop.

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Breaking Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Who Wants to Learn More About Elementary Verbal Operants?

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Differential Reinforcement Procedure for Problem Behavior Reduction

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Explore the Reinforcement Procedure Most Similar to Precision Teaching

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Test your ABA Terminology ➠ Name the Conditioned Motivating Operation (CMO) in This Scenario

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ABA Terminology Challenge ➠ Respondent-Operant Interactions

PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses the simultaneous occurrence of respondent and operant conditioning, clarifying the differences between the two and how they influence behavior. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-3: Define and provide examples of respondent and operant conditioning.

Let's Break Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Satiated and Satisfied— Understanding Motivating Operations

Sharpen your ABA principles skills as PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down a BCBA® mock exam question about motivating operations (MOs) and their influence on behavior. Learn the process of identifying the correct answer while gaining a deeper understanding of MOs and their behavior-altering effects. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.

Don't Get Caught in the Rain...Without Your Negative Reinforcement Umbrella

PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses two concepts that fall under negative reinforcement, breaks down their differences, and explains how they operate in various situations. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-4: Define and provide examples of positive and negative reinforcement contingencies; and G-1: Use positive and negative reinforcement procedures to strengthen behavior.

Supercharge Your Problem-Solving Skills to Identify the CMO in the Scenario

Discover how environmental variable evokes problem-solving behaviors to gain access to the desired item. With real-life examples, PTB co-founder Dana Meller sheds light on the significance of this variable in manding programs and various situations. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.

Motivating Operations ➠ Exploring the Future Impact of Behavior

PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses a powerful concept that explores the influence of consequences on behavior in the presence of an MO. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-12: Define and provide examples of motivating operations.

Let's Break Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Stimulus Control & Game-Changing Learning Factors

PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down a BCBA® mock exam question that distills the factors that affect stimulus control in behavior analysis. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control.

Test your Verbal Behavior Terminology ➠ Point-to-Point Correspondence vs. Formal Similarity

PTB co-founder Dana Meller clarifies the concepts, providing examples to help better understand these crucial distinctions and addresses common misconceptions between point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-14: Define and provide examples of the verbal operants.

The Ultimate Reinforcement Schedules Showdown ➠ FT/VT vs. FI/VI

PTB co-founder Dana Meller delves into the differences and nuances between fixed-time (FT) and variable-time (VT) schedules, as well as fixed-interval (FI) and variable-interval (VI) schedules. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-5: Define and provide examples of schedules of reinforcement; and G-14: Use reinforcement procedures to weaken behavior (e.g., DRA, FCT, DRO, DRL, NCR).

Coffee Quandary: Stimulus Control & Absence of Reinforcement in the Pursuit of Hydration

PTB co-founder Dana Meller discusses the concept of stimulus control, explaining the function of the Sᴰ. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-10: Define and provide examples of stimulus control.

Let's Break Down a BCBA® Mock Exam Question: Hypothesize the Function of Disruptive Behavior in Circle Time

PTB co-founder Dana Meller breaks down a BCBA® mock exam question, exploring various possibilities, automatic, unconditioned, negative, and positive reinforcement, to better understand the reasons behind the behavior in this scenario. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-4: Define and provide examples of positive and negative reinforcement contingencies.; and G-1: Use positive and negative reinforcement procedures to strengthen behavior.

ABA Terminology Challenge ➠ Ratio Strain vs. Breaking Point

PTB co-founder Dana Meller clarifies the distinctions between ratio strain and breaking point. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Sections B-5: Define and provide examples of schedules of reinforcement.; and F-5: Conduct preference assessments.

An ABA Lens on Racial Inequality, Biases, and Stereotypes

PTB co-founder Dana Meller addresses the impact of biases and stereotypes based on common attributes like skin color, gender, race, religion, and nationality, emphasizing the need for positive change and fairness in our responses toward others. Refer to BCBA® Task List (5th ed.) Section B-11: Define and provide examples of discrimination, generalization, and maintenance.