Principlev1
When spontaneous recovery occurs weeks into extinction,
When spontaneous recovery occurs weeks into extinction, compare current intensity to initial burst intensity rather than to immediately preceding quiet days to accurately assess whether progress has been lost.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Hindsight Bias and Calibration Necessity (memory reconstructs and shifts), Memory is reconstructive, not reproductive—humans rebuild (reconstruction vs reproduction), and Negative events carry greater psychological weight than (negative events carry greater weight). This principle prescribes a specific comparison frame that corrects for recency and negativity biases during recovery episodes.