Final answer:
Jacqueline's phobia of spiders is likely maintained by operant conditioning, which reinforces her avoidance behavior through the relief she experiences after fleeing from a spider, despite classical conditioning also playing a role in the initial association between spiders and fear. Therefore correct option is A
Step-by-step explanation:
Maintenance of Jacqueline’s Spider Phobia
Jacqueline’s fear of spiders and the relief she feels when she runs away indicates that her phobia might be maintained by operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning process where behavior is controlled by consequences. When Jacqueline experiences anxiety upon seeing a spider and then relief when she flees, this sequence reinforces her avoidance behavior. In other words, the relief is akin to a reward that follows the behavior of running away, strengthening the likelihood that she will react the same way in the future whenever she encounters a spider.
Classical conditioning is also at play because Jacqueline has learned to associate spiders (neutral stimulus) with fear (unconditioned response). However, the specific maintenance of the phobia described in the question - the act of running away and feeling relief - is best explained by operant conditioning, where behaviors change due to the application of reinforcements or punishments.
Cultural syndromes and observational learning could be factors in how the phobia originated, with cultural syndromes referring to shared norms and beliefs about fears, and observational learning describing how one might learn fears by watching others. However, considering the given scenario, operant conditioning is the more likely process maintaining Jacqueline's phobia.