Classical conditioning involves pairing one stimulus with a previously neutral stimulus, which causes a change in response to a neutral stimulus.

Classical Conditioning

A child develops a severe fear of dogs after their parents repeatedly tell them detailed, frightening stories about people being attacked by dogs. The child has never had a negative personal encounter with a dog. Based on the primary pathways through which fears can be learned, identify the most likely pathway for the child's fear acquisition and explain your reasoning.

Identifying the Source of a Phobia

Phobias are thought to be acquired through 3 major learning pathways:
- Classical conditioning
- Vicarious learning
- Verbal transmission

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There are many specific phobias but common ones include a fear of:

- Situations, for example, airplanes or enclosed spaces
- Nature, including thunderstorms or heights
- Animals/ insects, such as dogs or spiders
- Blood, injection or injury, including needles, accidents or medical procedures
- Others, such as choking, vomiting, loud noises or clowns

Common Categories of Specific Phobias

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Acquisition of Phobias

Based on the provided scenario, identify the most likely category of specific phobia the individual is experiencing. Justify your answer by referencing specific details from the text.

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