Ned found that if he ate cookies while thinking about his recurrent nightmare, the frequency and severity of those nightmares decreased. Ned's behavior illustrates the principle of _____.
A) extinction
B) reciprocal inhibition
C) covert conditioning
D) systematic desensitization

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ned's behavior illustrates reciprocal inhibition, a principle where a response incompatible with anxiety (such as the pleasure from eating cookies) is conditioned to occur in the presence of anxiety-provoking stimuli (thinking about his nightmare), thereby inhibiting the anxiety response.

Ned Found That If He Ate Cookies While Thinking About