Although Little Albert was classically conditioned to fear a rat, he also began to fear dogs, rabbits, and a Santa Claus mask. This is an example of
A)spontaneous recovery.
B)stimulus generalization.
C)stimulus discrimination.
D)extinction.
E)reconditioning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as stimulus generalization, where a response to a specific stimulus is elicited by similar stimuli. In Little Albert's case, his conditioned fear response to a white rat generalized to other white, fluffy objects, including dogs, rabbits, and a Santa Claus mask.

Although Little Albert Was Classically Conditioned to Fear a Rat