Spontaneous recovery vs. extinction
A dog's conditioned salivation to a bell fades after many trials of the bell without food. After a day's rest, the bell again produces some salivation. This is:
Answer C: explanation for every choice
A
Extinction is the earlier fading of the response when the bell was no longer paired with food.
B
Generalization is responding to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.
C
Correct. Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished response after a rest period.
D
Acquisition is the initial learning of the association.
TakeawayExtinction suppresses a response. Spontaneous recovery shows it was not erased.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps72.