16. A child bitten by a/brown dog is not afraid of black dogs. This is an example of: a) shaping b) extinction c) generalization d) discrimination

## Step 1<br />The problem presents a scenario where a child is bitten by a brown dog and, as a result, is not afraid of black dogs. This situation is a classic example of a psychological concept known as "stimulus generalization".<br /><br />## Step 2<br />### **Stimulus Generalization**<br />Stimulus generalization is a psychological phenomenon where a response that has been conditioned to a specific stimulus is also elicited by similar stimuli. In this case, the child has been conditioned to fear brown dogs due to the bite from a brown dog. However, when the child encounters black dogs, which are similar but not identical to brown dogs, the child does not exhibit the same fear response. This is because the child's nervous system has generalized the fear response to all brownish colors, including black.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />### **Option Analysis**<br />- **a) Shaping**<br />Shaping is a behavioral technique used in operant conditioning to guide actions toward a desired outcome. It involves reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. This concept is not relevant to the scenario described in the question.<br /><br />- **b) Extinction**<br />Extinction in psychology refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the stimulus is no longer presented. This concept does not apply to the child's response to black dogs after being bitten by a brown dog.<br /><br />- **c) Generalization**<br />As explained, generalization is the correct answer. The child's response to black dogs is based on the generalization of the fear response initially conditioned by the bite from a brown dog.<br /><br />- **d) Discrimination**<br />Discrimination in psychology refers to the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other, irrelevant stimuli. In this case, the child does not discriminate between black dogs and brown dogs, which is why option d is incorrect.