Final answer:
The smell of rubbing alcohol causing fear in Natacha is an example of classical conditioning. She associates the smell with the pain of rabies shots, making the once neutral smell a conditioned stimulus that now triggers a conditioned response of fear.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process by which Natacha now fears the smell of rubbing alcohol due to her past experiences with painful rabies shots is best explained by classical conditioning. This psychological phenomenon occurs when a neutral stimulus (rubbing alcohol) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (painful shots) that naturally and automatically triggers a response (fear or anxiety). Over time, the previously neutral stimulus begins to elicit the response on its own, becoming a conditioned stimulus that causes a conditioned response (fear) in anticipation of the unconditioned stimulus.
In Natacha's case, the smell of rubbing alcohol, which was initially neutral, was paired consistently with the painful injections. As a result, the smell of rubbing alcohol alone now triggers fear, even though it is not directly causing pain. This is a typical example of how classical conditioning operates in the real world, linking stimuli with emotions or reflexive responses.
In the famous experiment by Watson and Rayner, Little Albert's fear of the white rat, and eventually his generalized fear of other furry objects, is also an example of classical conditioning at work. The loud noise (UCS) causing fear (UCR) was paired with the white rat (CS), leading to the conditioned response (CR) of fear upon seeing the white rat.