Which of the Following Involves the Development of a Phobia

question 464

Multiple Choice

Which of the following involves the development of a phobia through operant conditioning?

• A) The person has a predisposition to develop a phobia about objects or situations that represented a threat to survival in our evolutionary past.
• B) As a result of a stimulus being associated with an unpleasant event, this previously neutral stimulus now becomes a conditioned stimulus and elicits a fear response.
• C) The person learns to fear a particular object or situation by observing another person reacting fearfully to it.
• D) Avoiding the feared object or situation is negatively reinforcing, so the person is more likely to avoid the feared object or situation again in the future.

---

Definitions:

Smog

A type of air pollution characterized by a mixture of smoke and fog, often resulting from industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust.

Stratospheric Ozone

A layer of ozone molecules located in the Earth's stratosphere that absorbs and protects living organisms from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

Ultraviolet Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, which can have effects on the skin such as sunburns and vitamin D synthesis.

Gamma Radiation

Electromagnetic radiation of high frequency and thus high energy, often emitted by radioactive materials.