The smell of a mouthwash that repeatedly precedes the experience of a painful dental procedure first begins to trigger a conditioned anxiety response during the process of
A) spontaneous recovery.
B) generalization.
C) acquisition.
D) discrimination.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The process of developing a conditioned anxiety response is known as acquisition, which occurs when a neutral stimulus, such as the smell of mouthwash, becomes associated with a painful dental procedure. Spontaneous recovery refers to the sudden reoccurrence of a response after a period of extinction. Generalization is when a response occurs to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. Discrimination is the ability to differentiate between stimuli that are similar but not the same.

The Smell of a Mouthwash That Repeatedly Precedes the Experience