As a child, you associated pain with a dentist's office. In later visits, your heart began to pound and your palms began to sweat before the dentist began any procedure. You are exhibiting a
A)rational fear based upon realistic dangers.
B)conditioned emotional response.
C)fear that was shaped by operant conditioning in childhood.
D)conscious attempt to act frightened in order to gain attention.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of a conditioned emotional response, where the initial experience of pain at the dentist's office has become associated with the environment of the office itself, leading to a physiological fear response (heart pounding, sweating) even before any painful procedure begins. This is a classic example of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (the dentist's office) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (pain) to elicit a conditioned response (fear).

As a Child, You Associated Pain with a Dentist's Office