If someone has gone through an experience where they associate an activity with a certain difficult emotion, they may avoid doing the activity. Professionals in the field can use condition ideologies with mental health issues. They can support the client to engage in the activity in a way that will make those emotions more manageable.

Santa Clara University

-A type of classical conditioning in which a subject is presented with a light or sound paired with a brief aversive stimulus such as a mild electrical shock. After multiple trials, subjects will experience fear responses such as cardiac and respiratory changes when only light or sound is presented. 

-Studies of fear conditioning have shown that the amygdala is the key structure that mediates fear.

Fear Conditioning

Why does this matter?

A toddler happily plays near a large, friendly dog. One day, a loud, frightening firework explodes in the sky right as the toddler reaches out to pet the dog. The toddler is startled and cries. Now, whenever the toddler sees that dog, or any similar-looking dog, they show signs of fear and start to cry. In this scenario, what is the conditioned stimulus?

Learn Before

Related