Saavedra & Silverman - Button Phobia Case Study

Classical conditioning

• A type of associative learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, leading to a learned response.

Unconditioned stimulus

• A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning, e.g., dog food causing salivation.

Unconditioned response

• The natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus, such as salivation in response to dog food.

Neutral stimulus

• A stimulus that initially has no effect on the response being studied but can become a conditioned stimulus after association, e.g., the bell before conditioning.

Conditioned stimulus

• An originally neutral stimulus that, after being associated with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually triggers a conditioned response, e.g., the bell after conditioning.

Conditioned response

• The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has become a conditioned stimulus, such as salivation at the sound of the bell.

Evaluative learning

• An unconscious process where an object is evaluated negatively due to an association, often eliciting disgust rather than fear.

Expectancy learning

• A type of learning where a neutral object becomes associated with a negative outcome, leading to fear.

Operant conditioning

• A learning process through which behaviors are modified based on reinforcements (which increase behavior) or punishments (which decrease behavior).

Phobia

• An excessive fear reaction that leads to avoidance behavior towards a stimulus that poses little real danger, greatly impacting daily life.

Behavioral exposure

• A therapeutic approach where an individual is gradually exposed to a feared object or context to decrease their anxiety, often combined with relaxation techniques to help manage the fear response.

Imagery exposure

• A therapeutic technique involving the visualization of feared stimuli to reduce distress and phobia, allowing individuals to confront their fears in a controlled, imaginal context.

Feelings Thermometer

• A scale used to measure subjective distress ratings in response to fear-inducing stimuli.

Cognitive restructuring

• A therapeutic process aimed at changing negative thought patterns and perceptions related to a phobia.

Ecological validity

• The extent to which research findings can be generalized to real-world settings.

Mundane realism

• The degree to which an experimental situation resembles real-life situations.

Nurture vs. Nature

• A debate regarding the relative contributions of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) to human development.