In operant conditioning, what happens if a preferred behavior is not reinforced?

In operant conditioning, if a preferred behavior is not reinforced, the behavior is likely to go extinct. This is based on the principle that behaviors are maintained through reinforcement, which can be a reward or positive outcome following the behavior. When reinforcement is removed, the likelihood of the behavior occurring again diminishes over time.

Extinction in this context refers to the process whereby a previously reinforced behavior is no longer followed by the reinforcing stimulus, leading to a decrease in the frequency of that behavior. Therefore, if an individual engages in a behavior that was previously rewarded, and that reward is no longer provided, the individual may eventually stop performing that behavior altogether.

The other choices involve concepts that do not align with the principles of operant conditioning regarding reinforcement. For example, the frequency of the behavior increasing or being maintained would require continued reinforcement, while transitioning to a different form does not accurately represent the process of extinction in this behavioral context.