Question

A light and a shock are associated so the light now produces a fear response without presentation of the shock. If a new light that is similar to, but not identical to the original light produces the fear response, we have an example of ________.

Question 51 options:
a)
spontaneous recovery.
b)
discrimination
c)
extinction
d)
generalization

Answer 1

The fear response to a new light that is similar to the original light associated with a shock is an example of stimulus generalization in classical conditioning.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a new light that is similar to, but not identical to the original light produces the fear response, we have an example of stimulus generalization. This phenomenon occurs when an organism responds to new stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response. It contrasts with stimulus discrimination, where an organism learns to respond differently to various stimuli that are similar.

For instance, Pavlov's dogs learned to respond to the tone that preceded food but not to other sounds that did not predict food. In the case presented, the fear response to a light similar to the original conditioned stimulus shows that the association made between the light and the shock has been generalized beyond the specific conditioned stimulus.