At one time Jimmy was scared of dogs because he was bitten by one.With subsequent repeated exposure to tame dogs in safe settings,however,his fear of dogs has gradually faded.Jimmy's diminishing fear of dogs best illustrates
A) higher-order conditioning.
B) spontaneous recovery.
C) extinction.
D) acquisition.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jimmy's fear response to dogs has gradually faded through repeated exposure, which is the process of extinction. Extinction is the weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus (in this case, dogs) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (in this case, being bitten or experiencing fear). Therefore, C is the correct answer. A, B, and D do not accurately describe Jimmy's situation.

At One Time Jimmy Was Scared of Dogs Because He