What term describes the return of a previously extinguished behavior after a rest period?

• A. Spontaneous Recovery
• B. Generalization
• C. Cue/Command
• D. Consequence

Answer: (A)

Spontaneous recovery is the return of a previously extinguished behavior after a rest period. After extinction, the association that produced the behavior isn’t erased; it’s suppressed. When a break ends and the cue is encountered again, the old response can briefly reappear, though it’s usually weaker than before and may fade again with further training.

In training military working dogs, this means a behavior that had stopped being shown can come back after a break when the cue is given, highlighting the need to re-establish consistent reinforcement.

Generalization would be responding to similar cues, not the exact cue, and isn’t about a rebound after extinction. A cue/command is the trigger itself, and a consequence is the outcome that follows behavior, both distinct from the rebound effect described here.