Reference no: EM132760454

Alyssa's mother hates going to the dentist. Alyssa's mother experiences dental issues and has to attend the dentist often. Because of all of the pain that Alyssa's mom experienced from the dental procedures over the years, Alyssa learned that dental visits cause pain. Alyssa has a dentist appointment next week and she is very scared. Alyssa asked her mom if she could cancel the appointment, but Alyssa's mom said "no."

1. Explain how classical conditioning (learning through association) applies to the scenario above.

2. In the scenario above, Alyssa learned to fear the dentist. How could Alyssa's mom use the process of reconditioning to change her fearful attitude?

3. As a future healthcare professional, how could you use operant conditioning to minimize a patients' fears or anxieties? (Remember: Operant conditioning relates to voluntary behaviors that are driven by reinforcers or punishments.)