Covering your ears when you find yourself in a room that is too noisy is an example of ________ conditioning; wearing earplugs that reduce sound intensity before going into a room that you know will be too noisy is an example of ________ conditioning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Covering your ears in response to noise is an example of escape conditioning because you are taking action to reduce the unpleasantness of a stimulus that has already occurred. Wearing earplugs to prevent the discomfort of loud noise is an example of avoidance conditioning, as it involves taking action to prevent an unpleasant stimulus from occurring in the first place.  In escape conditioning, animals learn that a response will allow them to escape an aversive stimulus. Animals learn through avoidance conditioning that their responses allow them to avoid aversive stimuli.

Covering Your Ears When You Find Yourself in a Room