Interesting Psychology! The Little Albert Experiment (live footage)

Summary

John Watson, the American psychologist who founded behaviorism, conducted an experiment in 1920 with Rosalie Rayner on a nine-month-old orphan, 'Little Albert.' They aimed to study conditioned emotional responses by exposing Albert to various stimuli, including animals and a white rat, to which he initially had neutral reactions. Through classical conditioning, they paired a loud noise with furry animals, successfully instilling a fear response in Albert. This experiment highlighted the behavioral approach to learning fear, although it raises significant ethical concerns today.

Takeaways

• 🧠 John Watson, the American psychologist, established the psychological school of behaviorism.
• ⏳ Behaviorism, now a less dominant discipline, focuses on behavioral factors rather than cognitive or genetic ones.
• 🔬 Watson and his assistant, Rosalie Rayner, conducted research on emotional conditioning with a nine-month-old boy known as 'Little Albert.'
• 🔍 The experiment was conducted before the establishment of ethical research committees.
• 👶 Little Albert, whose real name was Douglas Merritt, was exposed to various stimuli like fire, a monkey, a dog, a rabbit, and a white rat.
• 😐 Initially, Albert showed neutral or amused reactions to these stimuli, with no signs of fear.
• 🔊 Watson used classical conditioning by pairing loud noises with the animals to induce a fear response in Little Albert.
• 🐁 Little Albert eventually developed a fear of animals with fur due to the conditioning.
• 😨 After conditioning, Little Albert showed a fear response not only to real animals but also to furry objects resembling animals.
• ✅ The experiment demonstrated the success of classical conditioning in creating an emotional reaction.

Q & A

Who was John Watson, and how is he different from the fictional character John Watson in Sherlock Holmes?

John Watson was an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism. He is different from the fictional character in Sherlock Holmes, who is a doctor and friend of Sherlock Holmes in the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

What is behaviorism, and how has its prominence changed over time?

Behaviorism is a psychological approach that focuses primarily on observable behaviors rather than innate cognitive or genetic factors like temperament. It has lost much of its prominence since the cognitive revolution, which began in the second half of the 20th century.

Who was Rosalie Rayner, and what role did she play in the research with John Watson?

Rosalie Rayner was an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University and John Watson's assistant, as well as his romantic partner. She worked with Watson on the 'Little Albert' experiment, helping to conduct the research.

What was the 'Little Albert' experiment, and why is it significant?

The 'Little Albert' experiment was a study conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920 to understand conditioned emotional reactions. It is significant because it demonstrated that fear could be conditioned in a child through classical conditioning.

What stimuli were used in the initial phase of the 'Little Albert' experiment?

The stimuli used included fire, a monkey, a dog, a rabbit, and a white rat. Little Albert initially displayed neutral responses to all of these stimuli.

How did Little Albert react to the animals before any conditioning took place?

Before conditioning, Little Albert showed no signs of fear. He was neutral toward the fire, monkey, dog, and rabbit, and he interacted with the white rat without any distress.

What method did Watson and Rayner use to condition fear in Little Albert?

They used classical conditioning, pairing a loud, frightening noise (banging on a metal bar) with the sight of the furry animals. Over time, this caused Little Albert to associate the animals with fear.

What was the outcome of the conditioning process in the 'Little Albert' experiment?

The outcome was that Little Albert developed a fear response to furry animals. He became frightened of any furry object, such as a rabbit or dog, even when the loud noise was no longer present.

How did Watson and Rayner confirm that their conditioning of Little Albert was successful?

They confirmed the success by exposing Little Albert to a furry object that resembled an animal. When Albert exhibited a fear response to this object, it showed that the classical conditioning had worked.

What ethical concerns are associated with the 'Little Albert' experiment?

The experiment is considered ethically questionable today because it was conducted without the protection of research ethics committees. It involved deliberately inducing fear in an infant without apparent concern for the potential long-term psychological effects.