Siobhan has a classically conditioned dog phobia. Her boyfriend has recently gotten a very small puppy. Siobhan is very frustrated because she knows that there is nothing to fear from the puppy, but she is still too frightened to go near it. An explanation for her puzzlement is that the fear:
A) is generated directly from the amygdala before any higher processing occurs
B) occurs as soon as information is analyzed by the sensory cortex
C) originates in sensory cues that bypass the thalamus
D) is generated by the prefrontal cortex with minimal sensory analysis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Classically conditioned fears are learned responses that involve the amygdala and can occur quickly and automatically, without conscious thought or higher processing from the prefrontal cortex. Therefore, Siobhan's fear of the puppy may be generated directly from the amygdala, even though she knows logically that there is nothing to fear.

Siobhan Has a Classically Conditioned Dog Phobia