Once a week,a cat's owner used an electric can opener to open a can of tuna,and then fed the cat out of the can.The cat learned to salivate at the sound of the opener,but then the opener broke.While the appliance was in the repair shop,the owner used a manual can opener.The cat did not salivate at the sound of the manual opener.Once the owner was using the electric opener again,the cat again salivated at the sound.This salivation after the repair is an example of:
A) habituation
B) spontaneous recovery
C) sensitivity
D) extinction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies spontaneous recovery, which refers to the reappearance of a conditioned response after a period of extinction. In this case, the conditioned response of salivation had been extinguished during the period that the electric can opener was being repaired, but it spontaneously reappeared when the sound of the electric can opener was reintroduced. Habituation refers to a decrease in responsiveness to a repeated stimulus over time, sensitivity refers to heightened sensitivity to a stimulus, and extinction refers to the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response. None of these concepts fit the situation described in the question as well as spontaneous recovery.

Once a Week,a Cat's Owner Used an Electric Can Opener