spontaneous recovery

[spon-tey-nee-uhs ri-kuhv-uh-ree]

noun

1. Psychology.,  the unexpected revival of a conditioned response after its association with the stimulus has been erased.

   Spontaneous recovery was first demonstrated by Pavlov (1927) and has since been repeated in several studies.

spontaneous recovery

noun

1. psychol the reappearance of a response after its extinction has been followed by a period of rest

Word History and Origins

Origin of spontaneous recovery¹

First recorded in 1935–40