Although she was happy in the relationship, Joan decided to break up with her boyfriend several weeks ago. He tried contacting her for several days afterward, but after several weeks without any response from Joan, he stopped trying to contact her. Then, one day, Joan accidentally sends her ex a text message asking about his day. After this message, he starts frequently texting and calling Joan again. This reappearance of the previously extinguished behavior is an example of:
A) Spontaneous recovery
B) Generalization
C) Reinforcement
D) Reinstatement of responding

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reinstatement of responding occurs when a previously extinguished behavior reappears after being triggered by a stimulus that is similar to the original stimulus that caused the behavior. In this case, Joan's accidental text message to her ex triggered the reappearance of his frequent texting and calling behavior, which had previously been extinguished after several weeks of no contact.

Although She Was Happy in the Relationship, Joan Decided to Break