Abstract
Four experiments found the magnitude of spontaneous recovery after extinction to be greater with a shorter interval between initial conditioning and extinction. Experiments 1 and 2 used a Pavlovian magazine approach procedure with rat subjects, Experiment 3 used an instrumental training procedure with rats, and Experiment 4 used a sign-tracking procedure with pigeons. These results are not anticipated by many accounts of spontaneous recovery that attribute it to the fading of learning that occurred during extinction.
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This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant R01 MH 67848.
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Rescorla, R.A. Spontaneous recovery varies inversely with the training-extinction interval. Animal Learning & Behavior 32, 401–408 (2004). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196037
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196037