Little Albert was made to hear a loud noise, the moment he saw a white rat. After certain trials he started crying at the sight of a white rat. This is a classic example of ___________
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
In aversive conditioning, an unpleasant stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus to create a learned association between the two. In Little Albert's case, the loud noise (unpleasant stimulus) was paired with the white rat (neutral stimulus), which caused him to develop a fear of white rats.
The other options are not as good because:
- Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior. For example, giving a child praise for good behavior is an example of positive reinforcement.
- Negative reinforcement: Negative reinforcement involves removing an undesirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior. For example, a person who is afraid of dogs might learn to avoid dogs in order to avoid the feeling of fear.
- Token economy: A token economy is a type of behavioral modification system in which tokens (e.g., chips, points) are used to reinforce desired behaviors. Tokens can then be exchanged for desired items or privileges.