Final answer:
The process described is habituation, where the student learned to be less afraid of dogs through repeated exposure without learning new behaviors through association or consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that occurred when the student was taught to relax in the presence of dogs and eventually overcame his fear is known as habituation. Habituation involves getting used to a stimulus that may have been annoying or frightening initially but is not dangerous after being exposed to it repeatedly. It is different from classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning as it does not involve learning a new behavior through association or consequences, nor learning by observing others.
Classical conditioning involves forming an association between a reflexive response to a stimulus and a different stimulus. Operant conditioning is about learning to associate a voluntary behavior with its consequences. Observational learning occurs by watching others and imitating their behavior.
In the given context, since the student was repeatedly exposed to dogs and learned to be less responsive (i.e., less afraid) over time, this refers to the process of habituation and thus the correct answer is d) Habituation.