Spontaneous recovery occurs when?

• A. The behavior remains completely extinguished.
• B. Reinforcement is reintroduced after extinction.
• C. A newly learned behavior replaces old ones.
• D. A previously extinguished behavior reappears after a period without reinforcement.

Answer: (D)

Spontaneous recovery is the resurfacing of a previously extinguished behavior after a period without reinforcement. It shows that extinction doesn’t erase the original learning; it merely suppresses it. After a break with no reinforcement, the cue can briefly trigger the old response again, indicating the association is still present in memory and can re-emerge with time or context changes. The other scenarios describe different processes: staying extinguished would mean the behavior does not return; reintroducing reinforcement after extinction typically leads to relearning or reacquisition rather than a spontaneous return after a pause; and a newly learned behavior replacing the old one involves different learning dynamics, not the temporary reappearance of the extinct response.