Sensitization: Nonassociative Learning

Sensitization, which is a largely significant subdivision of nonassociative learning, was extensively used by both voters and candidates. Nonassociative learning is the recognition, understanding, and ultimate reaction to a stimulus that occurred in an organism’s environment. Sensitization occurs when such a stimulus leads the organism’s behavior to alter or intensify in response to this stimulus. Hillary Clinton, for example, became sensitized to the discussion of Trump’s sexual misconduct that was recently brought to the attention of the media. Although she was, at the initiation of the debate, very calm and relaxed, Clinton became more upset, and she increasingly had the desire to respond as this topic was covered by the moderators and …show more content…
After Trump persistently accused her of lying when she claimed that she had not unlawfully deleted emails, they gasped in response since deleting emails as Secretary of State could be seen as the spoliation of evidence that otherwise could have led to the proof of wrongdoing, which is a dishonest act. They condemned this dishonesty since, as children, they were conditioned to recognize that dishonesty is not a pro-social behavior, and is therefore unwanted, by their parents. The parents could have taught them that dishonesty was wrong through the implementation of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which individuals analyze their own behavior through the response to it by others, leading them to make the educated decision of whether to choose to continue that behavior or to terminate it. For example, when the voters were teenagers, they could have asked their parents to drive their car. The parents then decided to allow their kids to drive their car only if they promised to arrive back home in time for their curfew. The teens agreed to the arrangement, but then decided that they had no intention of keeping their side of the bargain, and …show more content…
Negative punishment is used to end a current behavior by terminating a stimulus. In this case, the parents would remove the stimulus, driving, in order to stop the unwanted behavior, which was lying that was used by their kids. Trump also became sensitized when he was asked about his sexist comments and actions towards women approximately a decade prior to him running for president. Although he came to the debate acting very peaceable and soft-spoken, once he was asked about this topic, he became louder and his gesticulations became faster and more grand, which expressed Trump’s lack of desire to talk about a topic that would put him in such a negative light for potential voters. He did, however, apologize for his actions. Some voters may find his apology appealing since that specific incident occurred many years ago, and he is taking ownership of his actions in the present to correct past wrongs. However, other voters will find his tactic unappealing since his sexist tendencies have transferred themselves to the present, and he’s therefore not truly apologetic, and is only expressing guilt now so he won’t lose too many votes,