When we talk about conditioning in behavioral psychology, two important ideas come up: extinction and spontaneous recovery. They may look similar at first, but they have some big differences that can help us understand how learning works.
Think of extinction like a natural process where a learned response gets weaker over time.
For example, imagine you teach a dog to sit by giving it a treat each time it does so. At first, the dog is excited and waits for the treat after sitting.
But if you stop giving treats when the dog sits, the dog will eventually stop sitting on command. This happens because the connection between the command and the reward fades away. That’s what we call extinction.
Here are some key points about extinction:
Loss of Response: The learned behavior (like sitting) gets weaker because there’s no reward (the treat) anymore.
Gradual Process: Extinction doesn’t happen right away. It takes time for the response to decrease.
Environmental Factors: Extinction can change depending on the environment. For instance, if treats are taken away in one place but given in another, the dog might still expect a treat in the spot where it can still get one.
Now, let’s talk about spontaneous recovery. This is where things get really interesting! After a period of extinction, if some time goes by without the command (like “sit”), the dog might suddenly sit again.
It’s like a ghost that comes back to an empty house—it vanished for a while, but now it’s back!
Here’s what to know about spontaneous recovery:
Re-emergence of Behavior: After some time has passed, the dog may sit again even if it hasn’t received any treats recently.
Time Factor: The time that passes between extinction and the return of the behavior is crucial. The longer the time, the more likely you’ll see spontaneous recovery.
Contextual Influence: Just like with extinction, the situation matters. If the original command is used again after some time, the dog might remember to sit, even without getting rewards lately.
Nature of the Response:
Process and Time:
Reinforcement:
Understanding these ideas is helpful for teachers and anyone working to change behaviors. It shows us that even when a behavior seems to disappear, it can return, reminding us how tricky learning can be. Whether we’re training dogs or working with people, these concepts help us see the deeper aspects of learning in psychology.
When we talk about conditioning in behavioral psychology, two important ideas come up: extinction and spontaneous recovery. They may look similar at first, but they have some big differences that can help us understand how learning works.
Think of extinction like a natural process where a learned response gets weaker over time.
For example, imagine you teach a dog to sit by giving it a treat each time it does so. At first, the dog is excited and waits for the treat after sitting.
But if you stop giving treats when the dog sits, the dog will eventually stop sitting on command. This happens because the connection between the command and the reward fades away. That’s what we call extinction.
Here are some key points about extinction:
Loss of Response: The learned behavior (like sitting) gets weaker because there’s no reward (the treat) anymore.
Gradual Process: Extinction doesn’t happen right away. It takes time for the response to decrease.
Environmental Factors: Extinction can change depending on the environment. For instance, if treats are taken away in one place but given in another, the dog might still expect a treat in the spot where it can still get one.
Now, let’s talk about spontaneous recovery. This is where things get really interesting! After a period of extinction, if some time goes by without the command (like “sit”), the dog might suddenly sit again.
It’s like a ghost that comes back to an empty house—it vanished for a while, but now it’s back!
Here’s what to know about spontaneous recovery:
Re-emergence of Behavior: After some time has passed, the dog may sit again even if it hasn’t received any treats recently.
Time Factor: The time that passes between extinction and the return of the behavior is crucial. The longer the time, the more likely you’ll see spontaneous recovery.
Contextual Influence: Just like with extinction, the situation matters. If the original command is used again after some time, the dog might remember to sit, even without getting rewards lately.
Nature of the Response:
Process and Time:
Reinforcement:
Understanding these ideas is helpful for teachers and anyone working to change behaviors. It shows us that even when a behavior seems to disappear, it can return, reminding us how tricky learning can be. Whether we’re training dogs or working with people, these concepts help us see the deeper aspects of learning in psychology.