Which statement best describes spontaneous recovery?

• A. A behavior that happens only in the presence of a cue.
• B. A temporary suppression of all behavior.
• C. A behavior that becomes permanently extinguished.
• D. The return of a previously extinguished behavior after a period of time.

Answer: (D)

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a behavior that had been extinguished after some time has passed. The idea is that extinction does not erase the original learning; the response remains latent and can pop back up when a break occurs, even though no reinforcement is given. This recovered behavior is usually weaker and temporary, fading again if no reinforcement is provided or if extinction training resumes. This helps explain why an extinguished behavior can come back later in a similar context or after a delay. It’s different from behaviors that only occur in the presence of a cue (that would be cue-controlled behavior) or from a complete permanent extinction.