As a child, Angelo was bullied in school. As an adult, Angelo fills with anger each time he drives by the old school building. Which explanation best accounts for Angelo's negative feelings toward school?

As a child, Angelo was bullied in school. As an adult, Angelo fills with anger each time he drives by the old school building. Which explanation best accounts for Angelo's negative feelings toward school?

• A. Operant conditioning
• B. Observational learning
• C. Classical conditioning
• D. Insight learning

Answer: (C)

This scenario demonstrates classical conditioning. A neutral stimulus—the old school building—has become linked with a distressing experience from childhood—bullying—so it starts to evoke a strong emotional reaction on its own. The bullying is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally produced negative feelings (unconditioned response). Through repeated association, the school environment becomes a conditioned stimulus, and driving by the building now triggers anger as the conditioned response. This explains why Angelo’s negative feelings persist toward the building even though the bullying happened long ago. Note that other learning forms don’t fit as well here: operant conditioning would involve behavior shaped by consequences, observational learning by watching others, or insight learning by a sudden realization.

This scenario demonstrates classical conditioning. A neutral stimulus—the old school building—has become linked with a distressing experience from childhood—bullying—so it starts to evoke a strong emotional reaction on its own. The bullying is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally produced negative feelings (unconditioned response). Through repeated association, the school environment becomes a conditioned stimulus, and driving by the building now triggers anger as the conditioned response. This explains why Angelo’s negative feelings persist toward the building even though the bullying happened long ago.

Note that other learning forms don’t fit as well here: operant conditioning would involve behavior shaped by consequences, observational learning by watching others, or insight learning by a sudden realization.