overconditioning
Overconditioning is a term used in behavioral sciences to describe a state in which learned associations become excessively strong or overly broad as a result of conditioning processes. It is not a formal diagnostic category, but is used descriptively to discuss situations in which the strength, persistence, or generality of conditioned responses exceeds what is adaptive or useful.
Causes and mechanisms: High reinforcement density, brief interstimulus intervals, highly salient unconditioned stimuli, or extensive repetition
Effects: Strong or generalized conditioned responses can interfere with flexible behavior. In animals, this may present
Relation to other concepts: Overconditioning overlaps with overgeneralization and perseveration. It differs from ordinary conditioning by
Management and research: Approaches that promote adaptive extinction and discrimination—such as systematic desensitization, context-specific extinction training,