Mary successfully reduced the fear of rabbits in a little boy named peter by gradually pairing a rabbit with cookies. the process she used is called?

Question: Mary successfully reduced the fear of rabbits in a little boy named peter by gradually pairing a rabbit with cookies. the process she used is called?

The process that Mary used to reduce Peter's fear of rabbits is called counterconditioning. Counterconditioning is a type of behavior therapy that involves pairing a feared stimulus with a pleasant stimulus in order to reduce the fear response.

In Peter's case, the feared stimulus was the rabbit. The pleasant stimulus was the cookies. Mary gradually paired the rabbit with the cookies, starting by showing Peter a picture of a rabbit while he was eating cookies. As Peter became less afraid of the picture, Mary would gradually introduce him to a real rabbit, still while he was eating cookies.

Over time, Peter's fear of rabbits was gradually reduced until he was no longer afraid of them.

Counterconditioning is a very effective way to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders. It is a relatively simple and straightforward technique that can be used with people of all ages.

Here are some other examples of counterconditioning:

• A person who is afraid of spiders might be gradually exposed to pictures of spiders, then to fake spiders, and finally to real spiders, while they are eating their favorite food.
• A person who is afraid of heights might be gradually exposed to higher and higher places, while they are holding onto something secure.
• A person who is afraid of public speaking might be gradually exposed to smaller and smaller audiences, while they are practicing their speech.

Counterconditioning is a powerful tool that can be used to overcome fear and anxiety. If you are struggling with a phobia or other anxiety disorder, talk to your doctor or a therapist about counterconditioning therapy.

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