Final answer:
The development of a fear of all dogs following an attack by a single dog is an example of stimulus generalization. This occurs when a conditioned response is triggered by similar stimuli to the original conditioned stimulus, like in Watson and Rayner's experiments with Little Albert. The correct option is d) Stimulus generalization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon where a person attacked by a fierce dog develops a fear of all dogs is best illustrated by stimulus generalization. This term refers to the process in which a conditioned response starts occurring in response to the presentation of stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus, even though they were not present during the original conditioning.
An example of this from classical conditioning experiments would be Watson and Rayner's study with Little Albert, where after conditioning the child to fear a white rat, he began to fear other white, furry objects, even Watson wearing a Santa Claus mask.
In essence, the person has learned to associate the fear response not only with the specific dog that attacked them but also with dogs in general. This is different from repressed anxiety, which involves suppressing overwhelming memories, or agoraphobia, which is a fear of places that may cause panic or helplessness, and it is certainly not a mere preoccupation with dogs. The fear becoming generalized beyond the original stimulus (the fierce dog) to all dogs is a clear case of stimulus generalization.