A behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors, and includes exposure therapies and aversive conditioning, is known as what?

A behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors, and includes exposure therapies and aversive conditioning, is known as what?

• A. Counterconditioning
• B. Systematic Desensitization
• C. Operant Conditioning
• D. Modeling

Answer: (A)

Counterconditioning is the process of replacing a conditioned response with a new, incompatible one by pairing the triggering stimulus with a different response. In this approach, stimuli that formerly evoked an unwanted reaction are associated with an alternative reaction—often a more adaptive one. Exposure therapies fit here by repeatedly presenting the trigger in a safe context to foster a calmer or more neutral response, while aversive conditioning adds an unpleasant consequence to reduce the urge to respond in the old way. Together, these strategies aim to evoke a new, adaptive reaction to the stimulus rather than the old unwanted behavior. Systematic desensitization is a specific form of counterconditioning that uses gradual exposure plus relaxation; it’s part of this broader family but the description given points to counterconditioning as the general procedure. Operant conditioning and modeling involve different learning processes—reinforcement/punishment and observed behavior, respectively—and do not center on changing responses to stimuli through classical conditioning.

Counterconditioning is the process of replacing a conditioned response with a new, incompatible one by pairing the triggering stimulus with a different response. In this approach, stimuli that formerly evoked an unwanted reaction are associated with an alternative reaction—often a more adaptive one. Exposure therapies fit here by repeatedly presenting the trigger in a safe context to foster a calmer or more neutral response, while aversive conditioning adds an unpleasant consequence to reduce the urge to respond in the old way. Together, these strategies aim to evoke a new, adaptive reaction to the stimulus rather than the old unwanted behavior.

Systematic desensitization is a specific form of counterconditioning that uses gradual exposure plus relaxation; it’s part of this broader family but the description given points to counterconditioning as the general procedure. Operant conditioning and modeling involve different learning processes—reinforcement/punishment and observed behavior, respectively—and do not center on changing responses to stimuli through classical conditioning.