Final answer:
Spontaneous recovery is the reemergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. This occurs after extinction, when the conditioned response weakens while only the conditioned stimulus is presented. Spontaneous recovery demonstrates that the conditioned response can return even after a pause from conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
Spontaneous recovery is the reemergence of a previously extinguished conditioned response following a rest period. The phenomenon occurs after extinction, which is the decrease in the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the conditioned stimulus. During extinction trials, the conditioned response is weakened, but it is not completely erased. Spontaneous recovery shows that the conditioned response can resurface even after a break from conditioning.
The phenomenon of spontaneous recovery is explained by the concept that a conditioned response (CR) is not really extinguished but is merely inhibited during extinction trials. This is seen in classical conditioning where after the extinction process—where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the pairing of the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), resulting in a diminished CR—the response can, after a break, suddenly reappear when the CS is presented again.
This implies that despite the decrease in the conditioned response during extinction, the original learning is not unlearned but suppressed. This reveals why, in the case of Pavlov's dogs or the ice cream truck example, the salivation or mouthwatering can return upon hearing the bell or music even after a period of non-reinforcement.