A Mother in Montana Wants to Teach Her Four-Year-Old Son

Multiple Choice

A mother in Montana wants to teach her four-year-old son to stay away from the bears that occasionally wander into the backyard; in other words, she wants him to be afraid of bears. On the other hand, she doesn't want her son to fear such other large animals as cows and horses. Below are four possible approaches she might take. Which one is based on Pavlov's view of how stimulus discrimination develops?

A) She takes her son to a zoo, where he can see bears in cages; she then takes him to a neighbor's dairy farm, where he can pet several dogs, cows, and horses.
B) She shows the child several pictures of growling, fierce-looking bears.
C) Using language the child can understand, she explains that bears are not to be cuddled and played with in the same way that teddy bears are.
D) She turns on a loud, startling siren every time a bear approaches; she also makes sure the child has numerous contacts with other animals in quieter contexts.