Jean's Ingenious Solution to Give Buffy Ear Drops

Why does Jean show Buffy the bottle of ear drops first before doing anything else?

A. To scare Buffy

B. To show off her nurse skills

C. To initiate the counterconditioning process

D. To make Buffy cry

Answer:

Jean shows Buffy the bottle of ear drops first as a signal that initiates the counterconditioning process, which aims to create an association between the ear drops and a high-value treat, to make the ear drop administration more acceptable for Buffy.

In this innovative approach, Jean uses counterconditioning to help Buffy become more accepting of ear drops even though she dislikes them. Counterconditioning involves pairing an unpleasant stimulus with a positive one to change the emotional response to the unpleasant stimulus.

By showing Buffy the bottle of ear drops first, Jean is signaling to Buffy that the ear drops are coming. By immediately following this signal with a high-value treat, Jean hopes to create a positive association in Buffy's mind. This way, Buffy will eventually come to see the ear drops as a cue for receiving a delicious treat rather than something to fear.

This method is similar to classical conditioning, where an association is formed between two stimuli. In this case, the sight of the ear drop bottle becomes a conditioned stimulus that predicts the arrival of the treat, which is the unconditioned stimulus that elicits a positive response from Buffy.

Over time, with repeated pairings of the ear drops and the treat, Buffy's negative response to the ear drops may diminish or even turn into a positive one. Jean's patient and strategic approach can help Buffy feel more comfortable and cooperative during her ear drop administration, making the process smoother for both Buffy and Jean.