Last winter, Carmen skidded on the ice and hit another car. This left her with a fear of driving on ice and snow that she finally overcame by the end of the winter. But her fear returned when she had to drive for the first time on the snow this winter. This is an example of
A) generalization.
B) discrimination.
C) spontaneous recovery.
D) extinction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Carmen's behavior of avoiding driving on ice and snow was extinguished at the end of last winter when she was able to overcome her fear. However, when she was faced with driving on snow again this winter, her fear returned, which is an example of spontaneous recovery. Generalization would refer to her fear extending beyond just driving on snow and ice, discrimination would refer to her being able to drive on some types of snow or ice but not others, and extinction would refer to the gradual decrease and eventual disappearance of her fear over time with continuous exposure.

Last Winter, Carmen Skidded on the Ice and Hit Another