Question

While watching his older sister dive into a swimming pool, jackson saw her slip on the end of the diving board, crack her head on the end of the board, and end up bleeding in the pool and crying hysterically. she required 12 stitches to close the cut on the back of her head. as a result, jackson was highly afraid of both diving boards and the deep end of swimming pools. he did not overcome these fears until he was well into his early adult years. jackson acquired his phobia as a result of ________ conditioning?

Answer 1

The correct answer is vicarious conditioning.

Vicarious conditioning refers to the phenomenon wherein individuals learn responses, attitudes and beliefs about something or someone (a stimulus), not through direct experience with a stimulus, but, rather through observing someone else's reaction to a stimulus. In this instance, Jackson "learned" to fear diving boards and deep swimming pools through observing his sister's traumatic experience with them.