Which term refers to the loss of a previously learned response when reinforcement is removed?

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Extinction occurs when a behavior that has been reinforced is no longer followed by reinforcement, so the frequency of that behavior gradually decreases and may eventually disappear. The learning that previously occurred remains, but the behavior stops being expressed because the reinforcing consequence is removed. Often, there is a brief extinction burst at the start, where the behavior temporarily increases before fading. This is different from simply forgetting; extinction is about the change in consequences leading to the drop in responding. Think of reinforcers as the events that strengthen behavior, shaping as the process of teaching new behaviors through successive rewards, and punishers as consequences that reduce behavior. Extinction specifically targets the disappearance of a learned response when reinforcement is withheld.