Teresa has a painful experience at the dentist's office, so her mother takes Teresa to a new dentist, one who takes great care to make her visits painless. Teresa is anxious at first, but after a few visits, Teresa gradually becomes less resistant about going to the new dentist. Teresa's change in behavior can probably best be explained in terms of

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Teresa's change in behavior can be explained by extinction, which occurs when a conditioned response (in this case, Teresa's anxiety and resistance to going to the dentist) decreases and eventually disappears after the conditioned stimulus (visiting the dentist) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (the painful experience). In Teresa's case, her new experiences at the dentist are painless, so her previously learned anxiety response to the dentist visits gradually diminishes.

Teresa Has a Painful Experience at the Dentist's Office, So