Question

what is stimulus generalization and how would you use it in treating emotional disorders?

Answer 1

Stimulus generalization is the tendency to respond to a stimulus similar but nit identical to the original conditioned stimulus. Stimulus generalization happen both in Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.

In Classical conditioning, a stimulus is paired with a response. Thus, whenever the stimulus occurs the paired response occurs in association with that. In stimulus generalization, not only the stimulus which is already paired, but also similar responses will elicit the intended response.

In Operant conditioning, stimulus generalization explains how we can learn something in one situation and apply it to other similar situations.

Stimulus generalization plays an important role in conditioning process. It can be used to strengthen a behavior. Sometimes, it can lead to desirable responses such as learning good behaviors in one setting can transfer to displaying the same good behaviors in other settings. It becomes problematic when it fails to distinguish between two commands that might make the learning process more difficult and can lead to incorrect responses.

Emotional disorders includes a relatively heterogenous group ranging from the mild transient to severe depressive episodes. It is a condition that involves inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationship with peers or teachers.

Anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders, psychotic disorders. etc comes under this. The anxiety disorders comprises of Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, panic disorders, Post traumatic stress disorder etc.

In treating Obsessive compulsive disorders, phobias etc conditioning can be used as a treatment. For a person with obsessive compulsive disorder, he/she might be too much conscious about cleanliness. Any sort of dust on their hands become so irritating for them. In these cases, the treatment can be done in a way --apply dirt on the patient's hand or body and train him to do nothing to clean it, so that he can eventually become conditioned to that stimuli, that he will be able to overcome his distress while seeing dirt anywhere on his body. The stimulus of dirt is made to pair with no reaction to it. Thus the person will be able to overcome his distress.

Similarly, many phobias can also be treated.

Many anxiety disorders if conditioned with proper responses will eventually help the person to tackle situations which evoke anxiety in him. Similar treatment can be applied in other emotional disorders too.

In phobias, removing fear of one object by conditioning eventually help the individual to come out of fear of other similar objects. In phobias, the individual can be made to experience a good state of emotion when the fearful stimuli is shown, thus by conditioning the fear can be expelled.

Answer 2

Stimulus generalization is the tendency to respond to a stimulus similar but nit identical to the original conditioned stimulus. Stimulus generalization happen both in Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.

In Classical conditioning, a stimulus is paired with a response. Thus, whenever the stimulus occurs the paired response occurs in association with that. In stimulus generalization, not only the stimulus which is already paired, but also similar responses will elicit the intended response.

In Operant conditioning, stimulus generalization explains how we can learn something in one situation and apply it to other similar situations.

Stimulus generalization plays an important role in conditioning process. It can be used to strengthen a behavior. Sometimes, it can lead to desirable responses such as learning good behaviors in one setting can transfer to displaying the same good behaviors in other settings. It becomes problematic when it fails to distinguish between two commands that might make the learning process more difficult and can lead to incorrect responses.

Emotional disorders includes a relatively heterogenous group ranging from the mild transient to severe depressive episodes. It is a condition that involves inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationship with peers or teachers.

Anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders, psychotic disorders. etc comes under this. The anxiety disorders comprises of Generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, panic disorders, Post traumatic stress disorder etc.

In treating Obsessive compulsive disorders, phobias etc conditioning can be used as a treatment. For a person with obsessive compulsive disorder, he/she might be too much conscious about cleanliness. Any sort of dust on their hands become so irritating for them. In these cases, the treatment can be done in a way --apply dirt on the patient's hand or body and train him to do nothing to clean it, so that he can eventually become conditioned to that stimuli, that he will be able to overcome his distress while seeing dirt anywhere on his body. The stimulus of dirt is made to pair with no reaction to it. Thus the person will be able to overcome his distress.

Similarly, many phobias can also be treated.

Many anxiety disorders if conditioned with proper responses will eventually help the person to tackle situations which evoke anxiety in him. Similar treatment can be applied in other emotional disorders too.

In phobias, removing fear of one object by conditioning eventually help the individual to come out of fear of other similar objects. In phobias, the individual can be made to experience a good state of emotion when the fearful stimuli is shown, thus by conditioning the fear can be expelled.