Using the situation described in 3.19, after conditioning has been completed, the occurrence of spontaneous recovery suggests that:
A) presenting the shock by itself suppresses the CS-US association
B) presenting the light by itself causes the CS-US association to be unlearned
C) presenting the light by itself causes the CS-US association to be suppressed
D) none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of the conditioned response after a temporary period of extinction. If presenting the shock by itself suppressed the CS-US association (option A), then the conditioned response would not reappear during spontaneous recovery. If presenting the light by itself caused the CS-US association to be unlearned (option B), then the conditioned response would not reappear during spontaneous recovery either. However, if presenting the light by itself caused the CS-US association to be suppressed (option C), then the conditioned response could reappear during spontaneous recovery due to the reactivation of the suppressed association. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Using the Situation Described in 3