Spontaneous recovery is the re-emergence of a previously dormant behavior after a period of rest. This phenomenon is like a forgotten song suddenly coming to mind; the memory was never truly gone, just temporarily inaccessible. It demonstrates that learned responses are not always permanently unlearned and can reappear under certain conditions. This concept was first identified by physiologist Ivan Pavlov.
The Role of Extinction
For spontaneous recovery to occur, a learned response must first undergo a process called extinction. Extinction is the gradual weakening of a conditioned behavior when it is no longer reinforced. For example, if a dog is trained to salivate at the sound of a bell that signals food, the salivation will eventually stop if the bell is repeatedly rung without food appearing. This process happens in both major types of conditioning.
Extinction does not erase the original learning; it suppresses it by creating a new, competing association. The initial connection between the stimulus and the response still exists but is overshadowed by the more recent experience that the stimulus no longer predicts the outcome. This suppression is why the old behavior has the potential to return later.
Mechanisms and Examples
The mechanism of spontaneous recovery involves a rest period following extinction. After a conditioned response has been weakened, a break with no exposure to the stimulus allows the suppressed behavior to reappear. When the stimulus is presented again, the original response returns, although it is not as strong as it was before extinction. With repeated cycles of extinction and recovery, the response becomes progressively weaker.
A classic example is seen in Ivan Pavlov’s experiments with dogs. Pavlov conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by repeatedly pairing it with food. He then initiated extinction by ringing the bell without providing food, and the dogs’ salivation gradually ceased. After a rest period of a couple of hours, ringing the bell again caused the dogs to start salivating, demonstrating spontaneous recovery.
The same principle applies to operant conditioning, which involves voluntary behaviors. Imagine a rat that has learned to press a lever to receive a food pellet. If the researcher stops providing the food pellets, the rat will eventually stop pressing the lever through extinction. After the rat is removed from the cage for a rest period and then returned, it is likely to begin pressing the lever again.
Factors Influencing Spontaneous Recovery
Several factors can influence the likelihood and strength of a recovered response. A primary element is the strength of the original conditioning. A behavior learned over a prolonged period or reinforced consistently is more likely to reappear after extinction than a weakly established one.
The length of the rest period after extinction also plays a part. Longer intervals between the end of extinction and the reintroduction of the stimulus often lead to a stronger recovery of the behavior. Time allows the suppressive effect of extinction to weaken, giving the original learned association a chance to re-emerge.
The number of extinction sessions can also affect the outcome. If a behavior is put through multiple cycles of extinction and recovery, the recovered response tends to be weaker each time. Repeatedly teaching that the stimulus no longer predicts the reward can more firmly establish the new learning, making it harder for the old behavior to return.
Implications in Behavior and Therapy
Spontaneous recovery has practical applications in therapeutic settings. In the treatment of phobias, exposure therapy works by extinguishing fear responses. A person with a fear of spiders might be gradually exposed to them without any negative consequences, which reduces their fear. The fear can unexpectedly return months later, a case of spontaneous recovery that may require follow-up or “booster” therapy sessions.
This concept is also relevant in addiction treatment. An individual may extinguish cravings for a substance while in a controlled treatment facility. Once they return to their normal environment, encountering old triggers can cause the cravings to spontaneously recover, increasing the risk of relapse. This shows that extinction in one context may not fully transfer to another.
Animal training also benefits from an awareness of spontaneous recovery. A dog trainer might work to extinguish an unwanted behavior, such as jumping on guests. After weeks of no incidents, the dog might suddenly revert to the old habit. Knowing this is a part of the learning process helps trainers anticipate these setbacks and reinforce the desired behavior.