This example illustrates how exposure therapy, based on classical conditioning principles, can be used to treat a phobia. The process involves four stages:

1. Initial State: A rabbit, the conditioned stimulus (CS), elicits a fear response in the individual.
2. Introduction of Pleasant Stimulus: A naturally enjoyable item, like milk and cookies, serves as the unconditioned stimulus (US), which produces a positive unconditioned response (UR).
3. Pairing: The rabbit (CS) is repeatedly presented to the individual at the same time as the milk and cookies (US). This pairing causes the individual to experience the positive unconditioned response (UR) in the presence of the rabbit.
4. New Association: After multiple sessions, the rabbit (CS) alone begins to trigger a new, positive conditioned response (CR), replacing the original fear.