Your dog is upset and agitated around your new cat. Your new cat is not particularly happy around your dog, either. Then you start to feed them together, side by side. They begin to like each other (or at least tolerate each other). This happened in accordance with the principle of
A)fear hierarchy conditioning.
B)counterconditioning.
C)backward conditioning.
D)trace conditioning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes counterconditioning, which involves pairing a previously negative stimulus (the presence of the other animal) with a positive stimulus (food) in order to change the association and create a positive response. Through the process of counterconditioning, the dog and cat learn to tolerate each other's presence and may eventually even become friends. Fear hierarchy conditioning (A) is a type of systematic desensitization therapy that is used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders in humans, and would not necessarily apply to this situation. Backward conditioning (C) and trace conditioning (D) are both forms of classical conditioning, but neither is applicable in this scenario.

Your Dog Is Upset and Agitated Around Your New Cat