Question

Describe the following terms as they relate to classical conditioning:

extinction
spontaneous recovery
generalization
discrimination

Answer 1

1. Extinction: Extinction is the weakening or disappearance of a conditioned response due to the lack of reinforcement.

2. Spontaneous Recovery: Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a while has passed since the last extinction trial.

3. Generalization: Generalization is the tendency for a conditioned response to be elicited by stimuli that are similar to, but not identical to, the original conditioned stimulus.

4. Discrimination: Discrimination is the ability to differentiate between stimuli that are similar but not identical.