Which of the following is a characteristic of Extinction in behavioral therapy?

In behavioral therapy, extinction is a process that involves the removal or withholding of reinforcement that previously maintained a behavior. By not providing the reinforcement that a behavior was once dependent on, the frequency of that behavior is expected to decrease over time. This concept is fundamental in understanding how behaviors can be modified; when the incentive for a certain behavior is removed, the likelihood of that behavior occurring diminishes as the individual learns that the behavior no longer yields the same benefits.

For instance, if a child is used to receiving praise for throwing a tantrum in a store, and the parents stop giving that praise, the tantrum behavior may eventually decline because the child learns that it will not result in the desired response anymore. This principle of withholding previously maintained reinforcement is what characterizes extinction in behavioral therapy.

The other options relate to elements of behavior modification but do not specifically describe extinction. Increasing the frequency of behavior, providing consistent feedback, and encouraging positive outcomes all represent strategies that might be used in different contexts of behavior management but do not encapsulate the core characteristic of extinction.