Although Henrietta extinguished her fear of spiders several months ago, she suddenly gasped in horror and felt her heart pounding when she saw an itsy-bitsy spider on her desk. This is an example of _____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of spontaneous recovery, which occurs when a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears after a period of rest or time has passed. In this case, Henrietta had extinguished her fear of spiders, but the sight of one on her desk caused her to experience the fear response once again, suggesting that the fear response had spontaneously recovered.

Although Henrietta Extinguished Her Fear of Spiders Several Months Ago