BRAVIN, André Amaral    GIMENES, Lincoln da Silva. Aversive property of operant extinction in positive reinforced behaviors. []. , 21, 1, pp.120-133. ISSN 0188-8145.

The concept of operant extinction has two connotations, as an operation and as a process. For positive reinforced responses, the extinction (a) as an operation, refers to withdraw of reinforcement; and (b) as a process, refers to the reduction of responses as a result of this operation. This work discusses aversive properties in extinction operation for previously positive reinforced behaviors. The evidences are organized in three categories: functional evidences (targeting the suppressive and negative reinforcing function of extinction); structural and topographical evidences (targeting the response class elicited/evoked by the extinction in comparison to the response class elicited/evoked by other unconditioned aversive stimuli); and biological evidences (targeting the biological influences consequent to extinction in comparison to biological influences dependent on other aversive stimuli). It is concluded that extinction indeed has an aversive sub-product, and that it should be considered in applied and experimental manipulations and settings. The need of more theoretical-conceptual and empirical investigations of this subject matter is highlighted.

: operant extinction; aversive properties; positive reinforcement; emotional responses; extinction sub-products.

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