AP Psychology Practice Test

Spontaneous recovery is the term used to describe the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. This occurs because the association between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus is not entirely erased, and can be reactivated even after a period of extinction. This is different from operant conditioning (A), which involves learning through consequences and rewards, and the law of effect (D), which states that behavior followed by satisfying consequences is more likely to be repeated. Extinction (B) refers to the gradual weakening and disappearance of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced.