Abstract
The discontinuation of reinforcement in extinction has two components: the contingency between the response and its reinforcer is terminated, and reinforcers are no longer delivered. The latter is responsible for some side-effects of extinction. Noncontingent reinforcement terminates the contingency while reinforcers continue to be delivered. Some implications of this difference are considered in the context of introducing a companion experimental article by Katz & Catania that explores extinction, noncontingent reinforcement and delayed reinforcement procedures with and without the concurrent reinforcement of an alternative response. The effects of noncontingent reinforcement are typically transient and the long-term effectiveness of noncontingent reinforcement in maintaining behavior is typically nil and if it ever does occur it is at best weak. Because reinforcer deliveries are not discontinued, noncontingent reinforcement may have advantages over extinction in many applications aimed at reducing behavior that has been maintained by contingent reinforcement.
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