In the Little Albert paradigm, the fear response generalized from the white rat to similar stimuli such as a Santa Claus mask. This illustrates which phenomenon?

In the Little Albert paradigm, the fear response generalized from the white rat to similar stimuli such as a Santa Claus mask. This illustrates which phenomenon?

• A. Stimulus generalization
• B. Stimulus discrimination
• C. Extinction
• D. Spontaneous recovery

Answer: (A)

Generalization in classical conditioning. After pairing the white rat with a frightening noise, the fear response becomes linked not only to the rat but to other stimuli that resemble it. The Santa Claus mask shares features with the rat—white color, fluffy texture, and a small, furry appearance—so the same fear response is triggered. This shows how a conditioned response can extend to similar cues, not just the exact conditioned stimulus. It’s different from stimulus discrimination, where the organism learns to respond to one stimulus but not to similar ones; extinction and spontaneous recovery involve weakening or reappearance of the response after some process, which isn’t the scenario here.

Generalization in classical conditioning. After pairing the white rat with a frightening noise, the fear response becomes linked not only to the rat but to other stimuli that resemble it. The Santa Claus mask shares features with the rat—white color, fluffy texture, and a small, furry appearance—so the same fear response is triggered. This shows how a conditioned response can extend to similar cues, not just the exact conditioned stimulus. It’s different from stimulus discrimination, where the organism learns to respond to one stimulus but not to similar ones; extinction and spontaneous recovery involve weakening or reappearance of the response after some process, which isn’t the scenario here.