As a child, Carmen was once bitten by a friend's dog. Thereafter, she developed an intense phobia of dogs and refused to go near any dog. In an effort to treat Carmen's phobia, a psychologist gradually exposed her to dogs. After many sessions of having nonthreatening experiences with dogs, Carmen overcame her phobia. This scenario exemplifies ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a decrease in the conditioned response. In this case, Carmen's phobia of dogs was extinguished through gradual exposure to nonthreatening dogs, which reduced her fear response.

As a Child, Carmen Was Once Bitten by a Friend's