Spontaneous Recovery is best described as which of the following?

• A. A sudden return of the behavior after it has been fully extinguished
• B. Sudden recurrence of a learned response during extinction
• C. A gradual fade of the behavior after reinforcement stops
• D. The initial burst of behavior when extinction starts

Answer: (B)

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously learned response after a period without reinforcement, showing that the original association is not erased during extinction. The idea that a learned response can suddenly recur during the extinction process captures this momentary return after a lull, rather than a gradual fade or a new learning event. In practice, after a break or pause in extinction trials, the behavior can pop back up briefly when the cue is presented again, even though reinforcement is no longer being given.

This is why the option describing a sudden recurrence of a learned response during extinction fits best: it emphasizes that the response that had diminished can reappear unexpectedly, reflecting that extinction suppresses but does not erase the original learning. The other descriptions describe extinction itself (a gradual fade), the initial surge at the start of extinction (extinction burst), or a return only after everything is extinguished, which are not the same phenomenon.