Which behavior modification technique involves ignoring a behavior to reduce its occurrence?

The behavior modification technique described in this scenario is extinction, which involves ignoring a behavior to lessen its frequency. When a specific behavior is not reinforced or acknowledged, it is likely to diminish over time because the individual no longer receives any response or attention for that behavior.

In essence, extinction relies on the principle that behaviors often continue because they are reinforced by some form of attention or reaction, whether positive or negative. When that reinforcement is removed, the likelihood of the behavior recurring decreases. This approach is commonly used in various settings, including speech-language pathology, to reduce undesirable behaviors by not reacting to them.

The other options, while important techniques in behavior modification, serve different functions. Reinforcement involves providing a response that strengthens a behavior, punishment aims to decrease a behavior by introducing an adverse consequence, and shaping is the process of gradually reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. Each of these techniques operates on different principles compared to extinction, which focuses specifically on the lack of reinforcement to reduce behavior.