A young girl was severely scratched by her neighbor's cat when it jumped from her arms. She is now terrified of cats, and will not get near them. Her phobia of cats is best explained by ________ theory.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The learning theory states that phobias are learned through classical conditioning, in which an individual associates a previously neutral stimulus (in this case, cats) with a negative experience (being scratched). This is consistent with the young girl's response to the cat incident, as she now avoids cats altogether.

A Young Girl Was Severely Scratched by Her Neighbor's Cat