What generally happens to a learned response during the extinction phase?

During the extinction phase, the learned response typically weakens due to the removal of the reinforcement that originally followed the behavior. Extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a gradual reduction in the conditioned response.

As reinforcement is withheld, the association between the stimulus and the response begins to diminish, causing the frequency or intensity of the behavior to decrease over time. This process demonstrates the principles of classical and operant conditioning, where the absence of reinforcement leads to a decline in previously learned behaviors.

In contrast, responses becoming more varied or stronger would not accurately reflect the extinction process, as these would indicate an increase in the behavior, contrary to what happens during extinction. Similarly, declaring the response irrelevant does not capture the weakening aspect; rather, it suggests that the learned association has been completely disregarded, which may not be the case during early stages of extinction. The focus of the extinction phase is primarily on the reduction and weakening of the learned response.