Very few people have actually come in contact with a shark, but many would show fear at the sight of a large fin swimming through the ocean waves because they have seen movies or news reports in which people have been attacked by sharks.This illustrates
A) vicarious classical conditioning.
B) shaping.
C) operant conditioning.
D) desensitization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vicarious classical conditioning refers to the process by which we learn to respond emotionally to a stimulus by observing others' emotional reactions to it. In this case, people have learned to fear sharks not because they have personally experienced an attack, but because they have seen movies or news reports in which other people were attacked. This process of learning by observation is a form of vicarious classical conditioning.

Very Few People Have Actually Come in Contact with a Shark