PSYC 330 Video Project- Conditioned Emotional Responses

Summary

This script discusses a classical experiment by Watson and Rayner that explores conditioned emotional responses. Using a participant named Albert B., the researchers aimed to condition fear by associating a neutral stimulus, such as a white rat, with an unconditioned stimulus, a loud noise. Over time, Albert developed a fear response not only to the rat but to other furry objects. The experiment demonstrated that conditioned emotional responses can persist and transfer across stimuli. However, it raised ethical concerns as no deconditioning was performed. The study also provided insights into understanding phobias and emotional conditioning.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Watson and Rayner's study focused on conditioning emotional responses like fear, rage, or love.
• 🐶 An example of a conditioned emotional response is feeling anxious around dogs after being bitten as a child.
• 👶 The study used a participant named Albert B. to explore how fear could be conditioned.
• ⚡ The researchers aimed to answer four questions: conditioning fear, transfer of fear, effects of time, and ways to remove fear responses.
• 🔔 At 9 months, Albert was shown neutral stimuli, and at 11 months, he was conditioned to fear a white rat through the use of a steel bar.
• 🐀 Albert developed a fear response to the rat, which generalized to other furry objects like rabbits, fur coats, and dogs.
• 📊 Observational techniques were used to gather data, showing that the conditioned response persisted for over a month but decreased in intensity over time.
• 🧩 Albert showed no fear toward blocks, indicating they were used as a neutral control stimulus.
• 😱 The study highlighted that conditioned emotional responses can persist and influence personality, and phobias may result from these reactions.
• 🍼 Albert’s coping mechanism, thumb-sucking, was compared to Freud's theory of erogenous zones that block fear, contributing to the understanding of coping and phobias.

Q & A

What is a conditioned emotional response as described in the script?

A conditioned emotional response is an emotional reaction, such as fear or anxiety, that is learned through the process of classical conditioning. In the script, it is demonstrated by the example of feeling nervous around dogs after being bitten by one in childhood.

What was the main objective of Watson and Rayner's experiment?

The main objective was to explore whether emotional responses, such as fear, could be conditioned. Specifically, they aimed to condition fear in a child using stimuli and examine whether this response could be transferred to other objects or animals.

Who was the participant in the Watson and Rayner experiment, and what stimuli were used?

The participant was a child named Albert B. The stimuli included a white rat, which was initially neutral, and a loud noise created by striking a steel bar, which served as the unconditioned stimulus to elicit fear.

What were the four research questions Watson and Rayner sought to answer?

1. Can fear be conditioned by presenting an animal and striking a steel bar simultaneously? 2. Can the conditioned emotional response transfer to other animals or objects? 3. What effect does time have on the conditioned emotional response? 4. What laboratory methods can remove a conditioned emotional response if it does not die out over time?

How did Albert respond to neutral stimuli at nine months old?

At nine months old, Albert did not show any signs of fear when presented with neutral stimuli, such as a white rat or other objects.

How was the fear response conditioned in Albert?

The fear response was conditioned by showing Albert a white rat and simultaneously striking a steel bar behind his head, which caused him to cry in fear. This process was repeated, leading Albert to associate the rat with fear.

What was the outcome of Albert's response to other furry objects?

After conditioning, Albert showed fear not only toward the white rat but also toward other furry objects like a fur coat, rabbit, cotton wool, and even a dog, suggesting the conditioned response transferred to similar stimuli.

What role did the blocks play in the experiment?

The blocks served as a neutral stimulus control. Albert never showed a fear response to the blocks and played with them readily, demonstrating that the fear was specific to furry objects.

What long-term effects did the study suggest regarding conditioned emotional responses?

The study suggested that conditioned emotional responses, such as fear, can persist over time and may modify personality. Although the intensity of the fear response lessened, it did not disappear within a month.

What was one major ethical issue raised by the study?

A major ethical issue was that Albert was removed from the hospital before any deconditioning could take place, meaning his conditioned fear response was never reversed. This raised concerns about the long-term effects of leaving conditioned emotional responses untreated.