What term describes the reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior after a period of time?

• A. Spontaneous Recovery
• B. Extinction Burst
• C. Renewal
• D. Generalization

Answer: (A)

Spontaneous recovery is the return of a behavior that was previously extinguished after a period of time without reinforcement. Even though the behavior hasn’t been reinforced again, a brief reappearance can occur, which reminds us that extinction effects can momentarily reemerge. This is different from an extinction burst, which happens right after extinction starts and shows a temporary increase in responding. It also isn’t about changing contexts or broader generalization; renewal is the comeback of behavior in a different setting, and generalization is the spread of the behavior to new but similar situations. So the reappearance after a time without reinforcement is best described as spontaneous recovery.