Heidi experienced extreme pain at the dentist as a child. Now, she goes to a different dentist, but feels her heart race when she arrives, and her heart rate goes down when she leaves. Her heart racing whenever she goes to the dentist is due to ______________, and the calming feeling when she leaves is due to _______________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Heidi's heart racing whenever she goes to the dentist is due to classical conditioning, as she associates the dentist with the extreme pain she experienced as a child. The calming feeling when she leaves is also due to classical conditioning, as leaving the dentist signals the end of the painful experience and her body has learned to associate that with relief.

Heidi Experienced Extreme Pain at the Dentist as a Child