What is the process of removing a conditioned response called in classical conditioning?

What is the process of removing a conditioned response called in classical conditioning?

• A. Extinction
• B. Desensitization
• C. Conditioning
• D. Reinforcement

Answer: (A)

The process of removing a conditioned response in classical conditioning is known as extinction. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a gradual decrease of the conditioned response. For instance, if a dog has been conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell because it has been associated with food, presenting the bell without providing food over time results in the dog no longer salivating at the sound of the bell. Other terms such as desensitization refer to a process of reducing negative responses to stimuli, usually in the context of phobias or anxiety, and not specifically the removal of a conditioned response. Conditioning itself refers to the establishment of the response rather than the removal, and reinforcement involves strengthening a behavior rather than eliminating it. Therefore, extinction is the precise process that describes the gradual disappearance of a conditioned response through the absence of reinforcement.

The process of removing a conditioned response in classical conditioning is known as extinction. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a gradual decrease of the conditioned response. For instance, if a dog has been conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell because it has been associated with food, presenting the bell without providing food over time results in the dog no longer salivating at the sound of the bell.

Other terms such as desensitization refer to a process of reducing negative responses to stimuli, usually in the context of phobias or anxiety, and not specifically the removal of a conditioned response. Conditioning itself refers to the establishment of the response rather than the removal, and reinforcement involves strengthening a behavior rather than eliminating it. Therefore, extinction is the precise process that describes the gradual disappearance of a conditioned response through the absence of reinforcement.