Extinction psychology is about how we forget things we learned. We can learn things by linking them to other things. For example, something bad can make us scared of something by linking them together. Or, we can learn to do something by linking it to something good. We call this conditioning.
How We Forget Things We Learned by Linking Them to Other Things
Sometimes, we forget things we learned by linking them to other things. This is called extinction. Extinction can happen in two ways:
- When we see something that used to make us feel or do something, nothing happens. For example, a dog can learn to drool when it hears a bell because the bell means food. But if the bell rings and there is no food, the dog will stop drooling. We call this classical conditioning and extinction.
- When we do something that used to get us something good, nothing happens. For example, a rat can learn to press a lever to get food. But if the lever does not give food anymore, the rat will stop pressing it. We call this operant conditioning and extinction.
What Makes Us Forget Faster or Slower
Extinction is not always fast or complete. Some things can make us forget faster or slower, such as:
- How well and how often we learned something. The better and more often we learned something, the harder it is to forget.
- How often we got something good for doing something? The less often we got something good for doing something, the faster it is to forget.
- What was around us when we learned something? The things or places that were around us when we learned something can remind us of what we learned. If these things or places change or go away, it is easier to forget.
- How long it has been since we forgot something? Sometimes, we can remember something we forgot after some time has passed. This can happen when we see or do something that reminds us of what we forgot.
- How do we learn something again after we forgot it? Sometimes, we can learn something again after we forgot it by seeing or doing something that makes us feel or do what we learned before. This can happen when we see or do something that gives us what we learned before.
Why Extinction Psychology is Useful
Extinction psychology can help us in different ways, such as:
- Getting rid of fears and worries. Extinction psychology can help us stop being scared or worried about things that are not dangerous by showing us that nothing bad happens when we see them. This is called exposure therapy.
- Changing bad habits. Extinction psychology can help us stop doing things that are not good for us by taking away the good things that make us do them. This is called differential reinforcement of other behavior.
- Learning how the brain works. Extinction psychology can help us understand how different parts of the brain and chemicals in the brain help us learn and remember things by looking at how they affect extinction at a small level.
Summary
Extinction psychology is about how we forget things we learned by linking them to other things. Extinction can happen in two ways: when we see something that used to make us feel or do something, but nothing happens, or when we do something that used to get us something good, but nothing happens. Some factors, such as how well and how often we learned something, how often we got something good for doing something, what was around us when we learned something, how long it has been since we forgot something, and how we learn something again after we forgot it, can make extinction faster or slower. Extinction psychology can help us in different ways, such as getting rid of fears and worries, changing bad habits, and learning how the brain works.
