The Little Albert Experiment demonstrated that classical conditioning—the association of a particular stimulus or behavior with an unrelated stimulus or behavior—works in human beings. In this experiment, a previously unafraid baby was conditioned
to become afraid of a rat
.
What was Little Albert afraid of?
2 After conditioning, Albert feared not
just the white rat
, but a wide variety of similar white objects as well. His fear included other furry objects including Raynor’s fur coat and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard.
What type of conditioning is Little Albert?
The Little Albert experiment was a controlled experiment showing empirical evidence of
classical conditioning
in humans. The study also provides an example of stimulus generalization. It was carried out by John B. Watson and his graduate student, Rosalie Rayner, at Johns Hopkins University.
What was the conditioned response in the case of Little Albert?
In Watson’s experiment with Little Albert, the white rat was the (conditioned, unconditioned) stimulus, and
Albert’s crying when the hammer struck the steel bar
was the (conditioned, unconditioned) response. Albert’s fear of the white rat transferred to a rabbit, a dog, a fur coat, and a mask.
How was Little Albert classically conditioned What does this expose about phobia?
After the continuous association of the white rat and loud noise, Little Albert was classically conditioned to
experience fear at the sight of the rat
. Albert’s fear generalized to other stimuli that were similar to the rat, including a fur coat, some cotton wool, and a Father Christmas mask.
Is Little Albert died?
But what of Albert Barger?
He died in 2007
after a long, happy life, says his niece. She says the family had no idea he might be Little Albert, and that his mum had hidden the fact that he was born out of wedlock.
What did Watson’s experiment prove?
The Little Albert Experiment demonstrated that
classical conditioning
—the association of a particular stimulus or behavior with an unrelated stimulus or behavior—works in human beings. In this experiment, a previously unafraid baby was conditioned to become afraid of a rat.
What was the conclusion of the Little Albert experiment?
In conclusion, Watson and Rayner concluded that their hypothesis was correct, and
they could condition “little Albert” to fear something irrational
. Although their experiment was riddled with third variables such as age and mental ability.
Is the Little Albert experiment ethical?
according to today’s ethical standards, the nature of
the study itself would be considered unethical
, as it did not protect Albert from psychological harm, because its purpose was to induce a state of fear. Many sources claim that Little Albert was used as a subject in the study without the permission of his mother.
What happened after Little Albert was classically conditioned to fear a tame white rat?
What happened after Watson classically conditioned “Little Albert” to fear a tame white rat? … Generalization occurred:
Albert responded with fear to other furry animals and fuzzy objects
. The sight of the hammer produced spontaneous recovery of the unconditioned response.
Did Little Albert have parents?
– Albert’s
mother was a wet nurse
. Arvilla gave birth on 9 March 1919 and was listed as a foster mother on the 1920 Hopkins census. … Thus, Arvilla is one of very few women who could have been Albert’s mother. – Douglas was born on the Hopkins campus and cared for by his mother after she left the hospital.
What was the major criticism of the Little Albert experiment?
The experiment was not carefully designed or conducted, Little Albert’s Fears were not Objectively Measured, but were Subjectively Observed. The experiment was unethical because Watson and Raynor, did not extinguish Little Albert’s
Fear Response to furry animals and objects
.
What year was Little Albert experiment?
“Little Albert,” the baby behind John Watson’s famous
1920
emotional conditioning experiment at Johns Hopkins University, has been identified as Douglas Merritte, the son of a wetnurse named Arvilla Merritte who lived and worked at a campus hospital at the time of the experiment — receiving $1 for her baby’s …
How do you extinguish a Little Albert fear?
Little Albert may have felt a sense of relaxation, in the presence of his mother.
By conditioning the presence of Albert’s mother (relaxation) with
the rat (feared object), Albert’s anxiety of rats can be extinguished.
When a previously conditioned response decreases and eventually disappears what has occurred?
extinction
: One of the basic phenomena of learning that occurs when a previously conditioned response decreases in frequency and eventually disappears. operant conditioning: Learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its positive or negative consequences.
How did little Albert get hydrocephalus?
They verify that Merritte indeed had congenital hydrocephalus, and recounted in disturbing detail treatments the child was subjected
to during his first year of life
, including repeated cranial and lumbar punctures to reduce fluid buildup in the brain.
