Asked by Makayla Christine De Souza on May 15, 2024
Verified
What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?
Spontaneous Recovery
The return of a conditioned response that had vanished, following a pause where the conditioned stimulus was not presented.
Classical Conditioning
The conditioning process of repeatedly associating two stimuli together, such that a reaction first brought about by the second stimulus is later brought about by the first stimulus alone.
- Acquire knowledge of the core concepts and principles involved in classical conditioning.
Verified Answer
RP
Renita PerezMay 21, 2024
Final Answer :
Spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning refers to the phenomenon where a previously extinguished conditioned response re-emerges after a period of rest or no exposure to the conditioned stimulus. This occurs without any new learning or conditioning taking place.
To understand spontaneous recovery, it's important to first understand the basics of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a learning process first described by Ivan Pavlov in the early 20th century. It involves pairing a neutral stimulus (one that initially elicits no response) with an unconditioned stimulus (one that naturally and automatically triggers a response). After repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that elicits a conditioned response (CR) similar to the unconditioned response (UR) triggered by the unconditioned stimulus.
For example, if a dog is conditioned to salivate (CR) to the sound of a bell (CS) because the sound has been repeatedly paired with the presentation of food (US), the dog will eventually salivate to the sound of the bell alone. If the bell is then rung repeatedly without the presentation of food, the dog's salivation response will eventually diminish and may disappear altogether, a process known as extinction.
However, if some time passes after extinction and the bell is rung again, the dog might once again salivate in response to the bell. This reappearance of the salivation response is what's known as spontaneous recovery. The response is typically weaker than the original conditioned response and may once again diminish if the conditioned stimulus (the bell) continues to be presented without the unconditioned stimulus (food).
Spontaneous recovery demonstrates that the original learning is not completely erased during extinction but rather is suppressed. The underlying association between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus remains, and given the right circumstances, the conditioned response can reappear, even after a period of time during which it was not observed. This concept is important in understanding the persistence of certain learned behaviors and has implications for various fields, including psychology, education, and behavior therapy.
To understand spontaneous recovery, it's important to first understand the basics of classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is a learning process first described by Ivan Pavlov in the early 20th century. It involves pairing a neutral stimulus (one that initially elicits no response) with an unconditioned stimulus (one that naturally and automatically triggers a response). After repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that elicits a conditioned response (CR) similar to the unconditioned response (UR) triggered by the unconditioned stimulus.
For example, if a dog is conditioned to salivate (CR) to the sound of a bell (CS) because the sound has been repeatedly paired with the presentation of food (US), the dog will eventually salivate to the sound of the bell alone. If the bell is then rung repeatedly without the presentation of food, the dog's salivation response will eventually diminish and may disappear altogether, a process known as extinction.
However, if some time passes after extinction and the bell is rung again, the dog might once again salivate in response to the bell. This reappearance of the salivation response is what's known as spontaneous recovery. The response is typically weaker than the original conditioned response and may once again diminish if the conditioned stimulus (the bell) continues to be presented without the unconditioned stimulus (food).
Spontaneous recovery demonstrates that the original learning is not completely erased during extinction but rather is suppressed. The underlying association between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus remains, and given the right circumstances, the conditioned response can reappear, even after a period of time during which it was not observed. This concept is important in understanding the persistence of certain learned behaviors and has implications for various fields, including psychology, education, and behavior therapy.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire knowledge of the core concepts and principles involved in classical conditioning.