Kaleb developed a fear of snowstorms two winters ago when his car spun off the road and hit a tree during a blizzard. As the winter progressed, and he had no further accidents, Kaleb thought his fear of snowstorms had pretty well disappeared. To his surprise, this winter when the first heavy snow started to fall as he was driving, he found his heart was pounding and he was trembling. What does this illustrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This illustrates spontaneous recovery, which is the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of no exposure to the conditioned stimulus. Kaleb's fear response returned after being dormant, indicating spontaneous recovery.

Kaleb Developed a Fear of Snowstorms Two Winters Ago When