When Veronica first quit smoking she felt cravings for cigarettes whenever she had a cup of coffee, because in the past she always had a cigarette when she took a coffee break. Eventually, several months after quitting, Veronica gradually stopped experiencing the cravings. What is the term used to describe the gradual decline in Veronica's cravings?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gradual decline in Veronica's cravings is known as extinction, which occurs when conditioned responses gradually diminish and eventually disappear due to the absence of the conditioned stimulus (in this case, smoking) being consistently paired with the unconditioned stimulus (pleasure from nicotine).

When Veronica First Quit Smoking She Felt Cravings for Cigarettes