Johnny has always feared going to the dentist as he associated these visits with pain. After repeated visits to the dentist, Joh
nny also developed the fear of bright lights as he had started associating it with the dentist's cabin. In the given scenario, the development of Johnny's fear of bright lights is due to ________.
Based on the scenario being described within the question it can be said that this development is due to counter-conditioning. This term, also referred to as stimulus substitution, is when an individual associates a positive stimulus to an unwanted behavior or response that would otherwise not be associated with. Which is what Johnny has done by associating the lights to the dentist's office which he hates.
Counter conditioning is that part of behavior analysis, and involves the conditioning of an unwanted behavior or response to an impulse into a wanted behavior or response by the association of positive actions with the impulse.
