Ten-Year-Old Sasha Began Crying Uncontrollably While Watching Old Yeller

Ten-year-old Sasha began crying uncontrollably while watching Old Yeller , a movie in which a brave dog saves his master but is killed by the bad guys. Her mother tells Sasha, "It's all pretend! Don't worry. Yeller is alive and living in Hollywood, California!" After her mom explains, Sasha feels much better and stops crying. This difference in Sasha's emotional reaction can best be explained by

A) arousal theory.
B) a difference in her interpretation of the situation.
C) drive reduction theory.
D) Maslow's hierarchy.