Mia is taught to go to sleep when the light is turned off. However, for many months Mia no longer falls asleep when the light is turned off. Later, Mia begins to fall asleep when the light is turned off again. This is an example of
classical conditioning
higher order conditioning
neutral stimulus
spontaneous recovery
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: spontaneous recovery
Explanation:
Spontaneous recovery is a concept in classical conditioning that refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of no exposure to the conditioned stimulus. In the scenario with Mia, we see a classic example of this process.
Let’s break it down:
Initially, Mia is conditioned to fall asleep when the light is turned off. In classical conditioning terms, the light turning off becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS), and falling asleep is the conditioned response (CR). This implies that through repeated associations, Mia learned to associate the act of the light turning off with bedtime and sleep.
However, over time, Mia no longer falls asleep when the light is turned off. This indicates extinction, a process in which the conditioned response gradually weakens and disappears because the conditioned stimulus (turning off the light) is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus (perhaps bedtime routines or tiredness).
After many months, Mia suddenly starts falling asleep again when the light is turned off, even though there hasn’t been any re-training or deliberate reinforcement. This reappearance of the conditioned response after a rest period is called spontaneous recovery.
Spontaneous recovery shows that extinction does not completely erase the original learning. The learned association may still be present, but it is suppressed. Over time, or under certain conditions, the association can reemerge without additional conditioning.
Other Options (Incorrect):
- Classical conditioning refers broadly to the learning process, but does not specifically describe the return of a response after extinction.
- Higher-order conditioning involves using an already conditioned stimulus to condition a new stimulus—this isn’t happening here.
- Neutral stimulus refers to a stimulus that initially has no effect—turning off the light is no longer neutral once it’s been conditioned.
Thus, Mia’s experience best fits spontaneous recovery.