What does escape extinction aim to address?

Escape extinction is a behavioral intervention designed to decrease undesirable behaviors that are maintained by an individual’s desire to escape or avoid a certain situation, demand, or task. When a behavior is maintained by escape, it means that the individual is engaging in that behavior to avoid or get out of something they find aversive, such as a difficult task or an uncomfortable environment.

The goal of escape extinction is to stop reinforcing the escape behavior by ensuring that the individual cannot escape or avoid the task or situation by using that behavior. For example, if a child throws a tantrum to avoid doing homework, implementing escape extinction would involve requiring the child to engage in the homework regardless of the tantrum. Over time, the behavior should decrease as the individual learns that the tantrum does not lead to escape from the homework.

This process specifically targets behaviors maintained by the function of escape, which is why the correct answer highlights the intention behind escape extinction. By focusing on maintaining expectations and not allowing escape, practitioners aim to decrease the problematic behavior and encourage more appropriate responses instead.