Fear conditioning is a process by which a person’s behavior is changed as a result of being repeatedly exposed to stimuli that typically cause fear. This process can be used to create a fear response in someone, which can then be used to motivate them.
One of the most commonly used fear conditioning experiments is the fear of spiders. In this experiment, a person is repeatedly exposed to a spider, and then they are asked to perform a task that is usually fear-inducing, like picking up a glass jar that is filled with spiders. The person’s fear response will be increased if they are repeatedly exposed to the spider.
Fear conditioning can also be used to treat phobias. In phobia treatment, the person is exposed to the phobic object, and then they are taught how to deal with the fear. This can be done by using desensitization and counterconditioning, which is a process by which the person is gradually exposed to the object and then their fear response is reduced.
