Graduated extinction
The term graduated extinction refers to the condition where a specific learning is forgotten gradually. A conditioned response is forgotten in the process. Graduated extinction occurs due to lack of use of the conditioning. Over the time, the learned and conditioned behaviour faces extinction. However, even after extinction, the behaviour can be gained back in less time than it was required in the first place, that is regaining it takes up comparatively lesser time than the original conditioning or learning. This is termed as spontaneous recovery. Learning experiments as conducted by the behavioural psychologists indicated that learning is a complex behavioural process involving changes that are relatively permanent and can face extinction over the time when not used.