Joe has been afraid of cats since childhood when he was attacked and scratched by a neighborhood stray.A fear such as Joe's may best be explained by
A) classical conditioning.
B) observational learning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) insight learning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Joe's fear of cats can be best explained by classical conditioning, which involves the learning of associations between stimuli. In this case, Joe learned to associate cats with pain and fear due to his past experience of being attacked and scratched by a neighborhood stray. As a result, he experiences fear and anxiety when he encounters cats, even if they are harmless.

Joe Has Been Afraid of Cats Since Childhood When He