Counterconditioning
Summary
Counterconditioning is a classical-conditioning method that replaces an unwanted conditioned response with a new, incompatible one by pairing the stimulus with something that triggers the new response. It underlies systematic desensitization and differs from extinction, which only removes the US.
Detail
Meaning: Counterconditioning is a classical-conditioning method for changing an existing conditioned response. The unwanted stimulus is repeatedly paired with a new stimulus that produces an incompatible response, such as relaxation instead of anxiety. With repeated pairings, the original stimulus comes to elicit the new response, because the two responses cannot easily occur together.
On the MCAT: A vignette describes a patient with a phobia who learns relaxation while being exposed to the feared object in gradual steps. That is systematic desensitization, which relies on counterconditioning. Aversive conditioning also counts: pairing alcohol with a nausea-inducing drug so that alcohol comes to evoke nausea. Questions may ask you to identify the CS, US, and new CR.
Common confusion: Counterconditioning is not extinction. In extinction, the CS is presented without the US and the old response fades; no new response is installed, and spontaneous recovery can occur. In counterconditioning, the CS is paired with a different US so that a new response replaces the old one. It is classical, not operant: no reinforcement or punishment of behavior is involved.
Sources
- Psychology
- Psychology in Modules
Written for the MCAT and checked before it was published. For study reference only. Spotted an error? Let us know.