Asked by Meschna Louis on Sep 26, 2024
Verified
Victoria gets annoyed because Joshua keeps talking to her about her fear of spiders and confronts him about his fear of clowns.According to the principles of classical conditioning which situation might most likely have caused Joshua's fear of clowns
A) His parents hired a clown for his 10th birthday, but none of his friends attended the party.
B) His parents hired a clown for his 5th birthday and Joshua got sick from hot dogs and cake.
C) He once dressed up as a clown for Halloween and everyone made fun of him.
D) He was bullied by Chris in elementary school and Chris now works as a professional clown.
Classical Conditioning
A method of learning where two stimuli are consistently associated; the response initially triggered by the second stimulus becomes triggered by the first stimulus over time.
Clowns
Performers who use physical comedy, exaggerated actions, and humorous behavior to entertain audiences, typically characterized by colorful costumes and makeup.
Phobia
An irrational and excessive fear of an object, situation, or activity that leads to avoidance behavior and emotional distress.
- Acquire knowledge on the basic concepts of classical and operant conditioning.
Verified Answer
BS
Bibek Shrestha3 days ago
Final Answer :
B
Explanation :
Joshua's fear of clowns is most likely due to classical conditioning, where an association is formed between two stimuli. In choice B, the sickness (an unconditioned response to the food) becomes associated with the clown present at his 5th birthday (a neutral stimulus), potentially leading to a conditioned response of fear towards clowns. This is a classic example of how classical conditioning can lead to phobias.
Learning Objectives
- Acquire knowledge on the basic concepts of classical and operant conditioning.