Which process describes the decrease of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus?

Which process describes the decrease of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus?

• A. Acquisition
• B. Extinction
• C. Generalization
• D. Blocking

Answer: (B)

Extinction is the process by which the conditioned response decreases when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. Once the CS no longer reliably predicts the US, the learned association weakens and the CR fades with repeated CS presentations lacking the US. It’s not that the learning is erased entirely, but rather the response diminishes until it may eventually disappear, sometimes with the possibility of spontaneous recovery later if the subject is tested after a break. To place it in context: acquisition is the initial learning of the CS–US pairing, where the CR strengthens as training continues. Generalization involves responding to stimuli similar to the CS, not the decay of the response. Blocking refers to a situation where a previously learned CS blocks learning about a new CS.

Extinction is the process by which the conditioned response decreases when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. Once the CS no longer reliably predicts the US, the learned association weakens and the CR fades with repeated CS presentations lacking the US. It’s not that the learning is erased entirely, but rather the response diminishes until it may eventually disappear, sometimes with the possibility of spontaneous recovery later if the subject is tested after a break.

To place it in context: acquisition is the initial learning of the CS–US pairing, where the CR strengthens as training continues. Generalization involves responding to stimuli similar to the CS, not the decay of the response. Blocking refers to a situation where a previously learned CS blocks learning about a new CS.