counterconditioning

noun

A form of conditioning in which a negative response to a stimulus is replaced by a positive one.

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Meanings

nouncounterconditioning (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesA form of conditioning in which a negative response to a stimulus is replaced by a positive one.

    This is called classic counterconditioning because it involves countering the association that was previously classically conditioned.

    [2015, Ilona Rodan, Sarah Heath, editors, Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare, Elsevier Health Sciences, →ISBN, page 43
    1 more example

    Counterconditioning involves pairing something that the cat thinks is a positive thing (food, play, distance, etc.) with the presence of the scary stimulus.

    2015, chapter 13, in Emily Weiss, Heather Mohan-Gibbons, Stephen Zawistowski, editors, Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 262

Origin

From counter- + conditioning.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

counterconditioning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterconditioning

MLA

“counterconditioning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterconditioning. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterconditioning,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterconditioning.

Source: counterconditioning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.