Final answer:
Pairing a pleasant stimulus with a fear-evoking object or situation is called d) counterconditioning. In Watson and Rayner's experiments, the fact that Little Albert began to fear objects similar to the conditioned stimulus represents stimulus generalization.
Step-by-step explanation:
What do we call the pairing of a pleasant stimulus with a fear-evoking object or situation? The correct answer is d. counterconditioning. Counterconditioning is a technique used in the field of psychology where a fear response to a stimulus is replaced with a relaxation response to the same stimulus. This is part of the broader category of classical conditioning, which involves the association of a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until the conditioned stimulus alone is sufficient to evoke the response.
Regarding Watson and Rayner's experiments with Little Albert, the phenomenon where Albert began to fear not just a white rat but other furry white objects is known as d. stimulus generalization. This occurs when a conditioned response starts to be triggered by stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus.