Question

When a previously learned behavior disappears because the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus, we call it ________.

Question 2 options:
a)
extinction
b)
classical conditioning
c)
spontaneous recovery
d)
generalization

Answer 1

Extinction is the term used when a conditioned response diminishes and then disappears after the conditioned stimulus is often presented without the unconditioned stimulus. It is a key concept in classical conditioning within associative learning.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a previously learned behavior disappears because the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus, we call it extinction.

Extinction is a concept in psychology, specifically within classical conditioning, a form of associative learning. In this process, a conditioned response (CR) that was learned through repeated pairings of a conditioned stimulus (CS) with an unconditioned stimulus (US) becomes weaker and eventually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented alone, without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus. For example, if a dog learns to salivate at the sound of a bell because the bell is repeatedly paired with food (the unconditioned stimulus), and then the bell is rung without presenting food, the dog's salivating response (conditioned response) will start to diminish, and ultimately, the behavior will extinguish if the pairing is not restored.