Eight-year-old Aarav is afraid of going near dogs. His therapist lets him watch his elder cousin calmly pat and feed a dog. Each time Aarav copies even a small part of this behaviour, he is praised. Identify the technique being used and the learning on which it rests.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Modelling; vicarious learning, i.e. learning by observing others
Option (1) Modelling; vicarious learning, i.e. learning by observing others — Correct. Aarav learns by watching his cousin, who acts as the <strong>role model</strong>, and small changes are rewarded. This is <strong>modelling</strong>, and it rests on <strong>vicarious learning</strong>, which means learning by observing others.
Option (2) Systematic desensitisation; reciprocal inhibition of anxiety by relaxation — Incorrect. Systematic desensitisation relaxes the client and makes him imagine fear situations from a hierarchy; relaxation inhibits the weaker anxiety. Aarav is not imagining ranked scenes; <strong>he is copying a person he watches</strong>.
Option (3) Token economy; tokens for a wanted behaviour exchanged for a reward — Incorrect. In a token economy the client earns tokens for a wanted behaviour and later exchanges them for a reward. Aarav gets praise, and the <strong>main source of learning is watching his cousin</strong>.
Option (4) Aversive conditioning; repeated association of a response with an aversive consequence — Incorrect. Aversive conditioning pairs an undesired response with something unpleasant, like a mild shock, so the person gives it up. Aarav receives nothing unpleasant; <strong>he is praised for copying</strong>.
NCERT (2026-27): “Behavioural Techniques … |