Question

Which statement about extinction is true?

1) During extinction, the original contingency is unlearned.
2) During spontaneous recovery, the inhibitory contingency is unlearned.
3) After many extinction trials, the CS will still elicit the same level of CR as when first presented.
4) If the CS is observed prior to the US following a pause after extinction trials, the CR may be elicited once again.

Answer 1

The true statement about extinction is that spontaneous recovery can occur after a rest period following extinction trials, where a conditioned response may reappear if the conditioned stimulus is presented again without the unconditioned stimulus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The accurate statement about extinction in the context of classical conditioning is 'If the CS is observed prior to the US following a pause after extinction trials, the CR may be elicited once again.' This refers to the phenomenon known as spontaneous recovery, where, after a pause or rest period that follows extinction trials, the previously extinguished conditioned response can reemerge when the conditioned stimulus is presented again.

Extinction itself occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the reinforcement of the unconditioned stimulus (US), leading to a decrease in the conditioned response (CR). This is the process of the learned association weakening. However, it does not necessarily mean that the original contingency is completely unlearned, which refutes the first statement in the question.