In classical conditioning, what is the term for the phenomenon in which a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears after a period of rest, contradicting the idea that once a conditioned behavior is extinguished, it can no longer appear again?

• A. Discrimination
• B. Generalization
• C. Habituation
• D. Spontaneous recovery

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of classical conditioning, where a conditioned response (CR) is learned through association between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US).
2. Recognize that extinction occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a decrease or disappearance of the conditioned response.
3. Identify that the question asks about the phenomenon where the conditioned response reappears after extinction, following a rest period without further conditioning trials.
4. Recall the term 'spontaneous recovery,' which describes the sudden reappearance of the conditioned response after a pause, indicating that extinction does not completely erase the learned association.
5. Differentiate spontaneous recovery from other terms like discrimination (distinguishing stimuli), generalization (responding to similar stimuli), and habituation (decreased response to repeated stimuli), confirming that spontaneous recovery is the correct term.