Spontaneous recovery is defined as the:
A) resultant product of cognitive learning
B) reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response
C) discrimination of certain stimuli from other similar stimuli
D) generalization of a response to other similar stimuli

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response, meaning that a response that was previously learned but then extinguished (e.g. through lack of reinforcement) can suddenly reappear after a period of time without any additional conditioning. This phenomenon can occur because the original conditioning establishes a neural pathway in the brain that is not completely erased by extinction, and can therefore be reactivated under certain conditions.

Spontaneous Recovery Is Defined as The