Which term refers to ignoring behavior in an effort to decrease its occurrence?

The term that refers to ignoring behavior in an effort to decrease its occurrence is extinction. This concept is rooted in behavioral psychology, particularly in the context of operant conditioning. Extinction occurs when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer followed by the reinforcing consequence, leading to a decline in that behavior over time.

When a behavior is ignored, it does not receive any acknowledgment or reinforcement, which can cause the individual to stop performing that behavior as it fails to yield the expected outcome or attention. For instance, if a child throws a tantrum to receive attention but the parents choose to ignore the tantrum, over time, the child may learn that this behavior does not elicit the desired response and may reduce or cease the tantrum behavior.

In contrast, other options relate to different forms of behavioral conditioning. Punishment involves introducing an aversive consequence after an undesirable behavior to decrease its occurrence, while reinforcement involves providing a positive or rewarding consequence to increase a behavior. Shaping behavior refers to gradually training an organism to perform a desired behavior through successive approximations rather than ignoring responses.