Whether a creak in an old house triggers feelings of panic depends on whether we interpret the sound as a breeze or as a possible knife-wielding intruder. This best illustrates the importance of ________.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The scenario asks how our interpretation of a creak in an old house affects whether we feel panicked, highlighting the role of mental processing in shaping emotion.
Option a: operant conditioning. This would involve learning from consequences (rewards or punishments) to change behavior, not how we interpret sensory cues to produce a panic response. So it doesn’t fit the described process.
Option b: stimulus generalization. This concept refers to responding to stimuli that are similar to a conditioned stimulus, not about how an individual interprets a single ambiguous sound. It misses the interpretive, cognitive aspect at play here.
Option c: cognitive processes. This directly targets how perception, interpretation, beliefs, and thoughts influence emotional reactions to a stimulus. In the example, labeling the sound as a breeze or a knife-wielding intruder changes the panic response, which reflects cognition at work.
Option d: natural selection. This is an evolutionary concept about how traits that aid survival become more common over generations. It explains broad species-level changes, not an immediate interpretation of a sensory cue and its emotional consequence.
In summary, the core idea is that interpretation and meaning-making (cognitive processes) determine whether the creak triggers panic, rather than conditioning, generalization, or evolutionary history.

PSY 200 (003) Fall 2025 Introduction to Psychology (TR, 1:30pm)

Whether a creak in an old house triggers feelings of panic depends on whether we interpret the sound as a breeze or as a possible knife-wielding intruder. This best illustrates the importance of ________.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Question at position 17 In Cognitive-Behavioral Theory, what does the cognitive approach focus on?In Cognitive-Behavioral Theory, what does the cognitive approach focus on?Observable behaviorsRole of the mind; thought process Interaction of external environment and behaviorMeasurable behaviors

Why did Schmitt et al. used GO completion tasks for their study?

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

Which of the following statement regarding cost is correct:

Under the assumptions used in cost-volume-profit analysis, as the activity increases:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler