Question

Researchers have found it is easier to condition both humans and monkeys to fear snakes than it is to condition them to fear flowers. This is an example of

Answer 1

The easier conditioning of humans and monkeys to fear snakes over flowers is an example of biological preparedness, which suggests that certain stimuli naturally have a greater association with fear due to evolutionary history. This is demonstrated in classical conditioning experiments like those with Little Albert.

Step-by-step explanation:

Classical Conditioning and Fear Responses

The ease with which both humans and monkeys can be conditioned to fear snakes compared to flowers is an example of biological preparedness in classical conditioning. This concept implies that certain stimuli are more likely to become associated with fear because they have been inherently more relevant for survival throughout evolutionary history. In the case of Little Albert, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) was the loud noise, the conditioned stimulus (CS) was the white rat, the unconditioned response (UCR) was the fear caused by the loud noise, and the conditioned response (CR) was the fear of the white rat.

When little Albert began to fear other furry objects, this exemplified stimulus generalization, a phenomenon where a conditioned response starts occurring in response to similar stimuli, not just the original conditioned stimulus. The habituation of the crow to the scarecrow and the dog's association of the yard edge with discomfort are additional examples demonstrating how classical conditioning can result in a variety of learned behaviors.

Answer 2

In psychology, it is easier to condition fear of snakes than fear of flowers due to stimulus generalization.

Step-by-step explanation:

In psychology, researchers have found that it is easier to condition both humans and monkeys to fear snakes than it is to condition them to fear flowers. This phenomenon is an example of stimulus generalization, where the fear response extends to other similar stimuli. Stimulus generalization refers to the tendency of a response learned in one situation to occur in another similar but distinct situation. It involves the transfer of learned behaviors across similar stimuli.

For example, in Watson and Rayner's experiments with Little Albert, the initial fear of a white rat generalized to other furry white objects. Thus, this typically suggests that there is a natural predisposition to fear certain stimuli, such as snakes, due to evolutionary factors.