Geo informed his current therapist, Dr. Volkov, that since his visit to the Grand Canyon, he has experienced such an intense fear of heights that he can no longer drive to his job, which requires him to cross a bridge. After realizing that Geo almost suffered a fall while at the Grand Canyon, Dr. Volkov concluded that Geo's fear of heights must be associated with his near-fall experience. Dr. Volkov's conclusion best relates to which early approach to psychology?

• A. Cognitive
• B. Gestalt
• C. Behaviorism
• D. Psychoanalysis

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key elements of the problem: Geo's intense fear of heights, the near-fall experience at the Grand Canyon, and Dr. Volkov's conclusion linking the fear to the experience.
2. Understand the concept of Behaviorism: This approach focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they are learned or conditioned through interactions with the environment.
3. Recognize that Behaviorism would explain Geo's fear as a learned response to the traumatic near-fall experience, which is a form of classical conditioning.
4. Contrast this with other approaches: Cognitive psychology would focus on Geo's thought processes, Gestalt psychology on his perception of the experience, and Psychoanalysis on unconscious conflicts.
5. Conclude that Dr. Volkov's reasoning aligns with Behaviorism because it emphasizes the learned association between the near-fall experience and the subsequent fear of heights.