In classical conditioning, the decrease of the conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus is called:

In classical conditioning, the decrease of the conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus is called:

• A. Extinction
• B. Spontaneous recovery
• C. Stimulus generalization
• D. Blocking

Answer: (A)

Extinction in classical conditioning is the process where the conditioned response fades away when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. When the bell (the conditioned stimulus) rings repeatedly without delivering food (the unconditioned stimulus), the animal learns that the bell no longer predicts food, so the salivation response declines over time. This decrease happens because the predictive relationship between the CS and US weakens, not because the original learning is erased. The original association can still be recovered later under certain circumstances, like after a break (spontaneous recovery) or when the context changes, but during extinction the conditioned response simply weakens as the CS loses predictive value. Other phenomena describe different effects: spontaneous recovery is a reappearance after a rest; stimulus generalization involves responding to similar cues; blocking occurs when learning about one cue prevents learning about another.

Extinction in classical conditioning is the process where the conditioned response fades away when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. When the bell (the conditioned stimulus) rings repeatedly without delivering food (the unconditioned stimulus), the animal learns that the bell no longer predicts food, so the salivation response declines over time. This decrease happens because the predictive relationship between the CS and US weakens, not because the original learning is erased. The original association can still be recovered later under certain circumstances, like after a break (spontaneous recovery) or when the context changes, but during extinction the conditioned response simply weakens as the CS loses predictive value. Other phenomena describe different effects: spontaneous recovery is a reappearance after a rest; stimulus generalization involves responding to similar cues; blocking occurs when learning about one cue prevents learning about another.