Final answer:
The preference for blondes due to a previous love interest with blonde hair is an example of stimulus generalization, where a conditioned response is transferred to similar stimuli.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon described in the question is known as stimulus generalization. This is when a response to one stimulus is elicited by similar stimuli, often following classical conditioning. In the example provided, because the student developed an affection for a love interest who had blonde hair, they now prefer others with blonde hair, showing that the emotional response linked to the love interest has been generalized to others who share the characteristic of blonde hair.
Looking at a classic example in psychology, we can refer to Watson and Rayner's experiments with Little Albert. After conditioning Little Albert to fear a white rat, Albert began to show fear of other furry white objects, which also clearly illustrates stimulus generalization. The child's learned fear response to the white rat transferred to similar stimuli. This is very much akin to the fondness for blondes that has been generalized based on past experiences.