What does Automatic Extinction refer to in behavior analysis?

Automatic Extinction refers to the process of eliminating the reinforcement that a behavior receives automatically, due to the sensory consequences associated with that behavior. In this context, the "sensory consequence" is often a natural reinforcement that occurs without the involvement of another person, such as the sensory stimulation from an action. By removing this sensory consequence, the behavior is less likely to occur because it no longer provides the intrinsic reward that previously maintained it. This technique is useful in decreasing maladaptive behaviors that are maintained by automatic reinforcement.

The other options describe different concepts in behavior analysis that do not pertain to automatic extinction specifically. For instance, introducing or adding reinforcement serves to increase behavior rather than extinguish it. Reinforcement contingent on behavior occurrence describes a principle of operant conditioning where behavior is strengthened by consequences, which is not related to the removal of reinforcement. Lastly, rewarding maladaptive behaviors suggests that such behaviors are reinforced, which is contrary to the principle of extinction, as the focus of automatic extinction is to remove reinforcement to decrease those behaviors.