Final answer:
Dr. Hanson is likely using classical conditioning to develop panic disorder in rats, a process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, causing a conditioned response. This method has been supported by various animal studies and psychological research, such as the famous case of Little Albert.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dr. Hanson might be using a method known as classical conditioning to develop panic disorder in rats. This method involves pairing a neutral stimulus (the tone) with an unconditioned stimulus (the shock) until the neutral stimulus alone elicits a fear response. This type of learning was famously demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov with his dogs and has been replicated with various animals and responses, such as fear conditioning in studies involving rats and other stimuli. The fear response to the tone indicates that the rat has learned to associate the tone with the shock, and this association is an example of a conditioned response (CR).
Research, such as the one described by Little Albert's experiment conducted by Watson and Rayner, reinforces this method of learning. In Little Albert's case, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) was the loud noise, the conditioned stimulus (CS) was the white rat, the unconditioned response (UCR) was fear due to the loud noise, and the conditioned response (CR) was fear of the white rat and other similar stimuli. Studies in animal psychology, including those mentioned in the context of the amygdala's activation in rats, have supported the idea that emotional responses such as fear can be conditioned through similar processes.