Final answer:
Reconsolidation is a process where extinct behaviors are remembered through re-association. It occurs when memories are retrieved and modified through re-association or relearning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process where extinct behaviors are remembered through re-association is known as reconsolidation. Reconsolidation occurs when memories that have already been encoded and consolidated are retrieved and then modified through the process of re-association or relearning.
When a memory is reactivated, it becomes temporarily labile or unstable, and new associations can be formed during this time.
For example, if someone has a fear of dogs due to a traumatic experience, exposure therapy can be used to trigger the fear response and then gradually reassociate the fear with positive experiences, such as playing with a friendly and well-behaved dog.
Reconsolidation has been studied in the context of both classical conditioning and operant conditioning, two forms of associative learning. In classical conditioning, organisms learn to associate two stimuli that occur together in the environment. In operant conditioning, organisms learn to associate a behavior with its consequences.
Both forms of associative learning involve the process of reconsolidation.