Describe An Instance Of How Excitatory Response

Describe An Instance Of How Excitatory Respo

When I was a young child, I was bitten and chased by a dog in my neighborhood. The incident was sudden, frightening, and intense, leaving a lasting impression on me. After that event, I noticed that whenever I saw dogs, especially ones that looked similar to the one that attacked me, I would start feeling anxious and fearful. This emotional response was not present before the incident and was specifically triggered by the presence of dogs. Over time, my fear became an automatic reaction whenever I encountered dogs or even images and sounds associated with them. This classic example of conditioning demonstrated how an initially neutral stimulus, the sight of a dog, became associated with fear through the traumatic experience. The response became more generalized over time, so even seeing dogs from a distance or hearing barking would evoke fear. This conditioned emotional response significantly influenced my behavior, making me cautious around dogs and affecting my interactions with animals for years.

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The process of classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. In my case, the unconditioned stimulus (US) was the dog attack, which naturally elicited an unconditioned response (UR) of fear and anxiety. The sight of dogs before the attack did not produce any significant emotional response, making it a neutral stimulus initially. However, after the incident, the sight of dogs became a conditioned stimulus (CS) that triggered a conditioned response (CR) of fear. This excitatory Pavlovian conditioning occurred because the neutral stimulus (sight of a dog) was repeatedly paired with the traumatic event (dog attack), resulting in the association of the two stimuli. Over time, merely seeing or even thinking about dogs would evoke the fear response, indicative of successful conditioning.

Generalization played a crucial role in this emotional response; even dogs that resembled the attacking dog or were at a distance could elicit fear. The fear response was context-dependent to some extent; for example, in familiar environments, my fear was less intense, but in unfamiliar settings or around unfamiliar dogs, the anxiety was heightened. This demonstrates how context influences the strength of conditioned responses. The learning persisted despite my conscious efforts to overcome it, illustrating the performance/learning distinction; while I had learned to fear dogs, my responses could be temporarily suppressed or intensified based on environmental cues. The conditioning process exemplifies how emotional responses such as fear can develop through association, shaping behavior and personal experiences over time (Schacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011).

The development of this excitatory response illustrates classical conditioning principles by showing how a traumatic event led to a persistent fear response to stimuli that resemble the original threat. The generalized fear to other animals and situations reflects the process of stimulus generalization, whereby similar stimuli evoke the conditioned response. This example also highlights the importance of context dependency—certain environments or cues can amplify or diminish conditioned responses. Additionally, the distinction between learning and performance is evident; although I have been trained to avoid dogs, I can sometimes suppress the fear response temporarily, but it remains a conditioned emotional reaction rooted in past experiences. Overall, this instance underscores how classical conditioning can influence emotional development and behavioral patterns, shaping personal reactions and interactions with animals (Mineka & Cook, 1993; Rescorla, 1988).

References

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