BA525 Unit 5 Discussion
Pavlovian and Operant Conditioning Interactions
In the Roane et al. (2024) textbook, Escobar et al. (2024) describes the development of a fear response in a young girl who is suddenly snapped at by two foster dogs in her home. In this discussion, you will consider this scenario and explore implications for how Pavlovian and operant conditioning interactions explain the creation, generalization and maintenance of fear elicited responses.
- First, describe how the Pavlovian paradigm explains the fear response the child developed following this encounter.
- What roles did generalization and discrimination play in the girl’s subsequent reactions to dogs?
- Next, create a hypothetical situation which illustrates how an interaction between operant and Pavlovian conditioning could contribute to the development of an avoidance response or a phobia.
- How might fear elicited behavior, a Pavlovian response, be maintained through operant processes in your example?
- Finally, discuss how a thorough understanding of Pavlovian processes, as identified in laboratory settings, can contribute to the understanding and treatment of the fear elicited behavior in your hypothetical example.
- Be sure that you are using your course readings throughout to support your analysis.
Review two of your classmates' responses, using the following ideas as a guide:
- Is the role of Pavlovian conditioning in development of a fear response explored in depth?
- Does the description of generalization and discrimination support an understanding of Pavlovian processes in the development of fear-related behaviors?
- Does the hypothetical example support the understanding and treatment of fear-related behavior from a Pavlovian/operant interaction perspective?
- Ask at least one thoughtful follow-up question.