The temperature behavior of minority‐carrier lifetimes was measured in undopedn‐type and Cd‐dopedp‐type GaAs single crystals. The results were explained on the basis of a model for the recombination mechanism using one type of minority‐carrier trapping centers and one type of recombination centers, the latter having a very small density. Furthermore, the model assumed a gradual transformation of trapping centers to recombination ones with decreasing temperature. The same model also explained the difference between our results on the majority‐carrier lifetime behavior and the results of other investigators on the same subject.