When Anna was three years old, her aunt's pet parakeet landed on her head and pecked at her scalp, hurting her. Following this incident, Anna was afraid of the parakeet. But over time, Anna has become afraid of anything that flies, including butterflies, large flying insects, and wild birds. This example illustrates the phenomenon of _____ in _____ conditioning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates the phenomenon of stimulus generalization in classical conditioning. Anna's fear of the parakeet has generalized to other flying things, causing her to be afraid of anything that resembles the original conditioned stimulus (the parakeet).

When Anna Was Three Years Old, Her Aunt's Pet Parakeet