Final answer:
Extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to the disappearance of the conditioned response. If a break follows these extinction episodes, spontaneous recovery can take place, where the conditioned response briefly returns upon the conditioned stimulus's presentation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery in Classical Conditioning:
When a stimulus stops eliciting a learned response, the process at play is known as extinction. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a gradual weakening of the conditioned response. For instance, if Tiger the cat hears the electric can opener but does not receive food, over time, Tiger will stop responding to the sound of the can opener. Pavlov's experiments with dogs demonstrated that the sound of a tone without the presentation of meat powder eventually resulted in the dogs not responding to the tone. However, if there is a break or pause after extinction, a phenomenon known as spontaneous recovery may occur, where the learned response briefly reappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented again.
In the case of habituation, this involves an organism becoming less responsive to a stimulus after repeated exposures, and the response decreases when the stimulus is shown to be irrelevant or non-threatening.
Acquisition is the initial stage where the neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response after repeated pairings. This is followed by extinction and potentially spontaneous recovery depending on whether or not the stimulus is again paired with the reinforcement after a break.