Powerpoint on Watson and Rayner's "little Albert" experiment. Includes aim, hypothesis, evaluation, method and procedure, alternative evidence/research and ethical/social/political implications.

1. Behaviourist
approach:
Watson &
Rayner (1920)
Kacie-Marie Williams

2. Method &
Procedure
Methodology:
 There was one participant, 'Little Albert', but
was referred to as 'Albert B' in the study. He
was a normal male who was around 9 months
old when the study started.
 It is deemed as a controlled observation
because it only has one condition and no IV or
DV. It is also seen as a controlled observation
because it took place in a 'lab', or well-lit room
with the main procedure taking place on a
mattress-covered table.

3. Method & Procedure
Procedures with individual conclusions:
1. Emotional tests
Albert was exposed to multiple objects (white rat, rabbit, dog, cotton wool, monkey, mask with and without hair and burning
newspapers) along with the sound of a hammer hitting a metal bar to try and see any emotional reactions.
Conclusion: He showed no fear from the objects but did show some fear to hammer and bar.
2. Establishing a conditioned emotional response
The emotional reactions were tested again with the objects. When Albert was presented with the rat, the bar was hit with the
hammer, this happened two times.
Conclusion: Albert fell forwards the first and second time, with him whimpering the second time. He showed fear.
3. Testing the conditioned emotional response
Albert was tested a week later with the rat, individually without the hammer sound. He was then presented with some building
blocks to play with, showing no fear. Then, the rat and hammer sound were together 5 times.
Conclusion: Without the sound, Albert was a little bit afraid of the rat. With the sound, he showed fear and became distressed.

4. Method & procedure
Procedure and individual conclusions pt.2
3. Generalisation
After 5 days, Albert was bought back to the lab and presented with the multiple, furry, objects again.
Conclusions: He showed a lot of fear to: rat, rabbit, dog and fur coat. He showed caution to: cotton wool. He showed no fear to:
Watson's hair and building blocks.
4. Changing the environment
Another 5 days later, Albert was shown the white rat and hammer sound again to "freshen up" his reaction. He was then taken to
a new environment – a well-lit lecture room, with 4 people present. His responses were tested again here.
Conclusions: He showed less extreme reactions before being "freshened up". Afterwards, the responses were stronger. He didn’t
show any fear towards the building blocks.
5. The effect of time
A month later, Albert was bought back to the lab for final testing.
Conclusions: He showed a fear reaction to the furry objects, but it was less extreme and he cried occasionally.

5. Findings and
conclusion
Findings – Albert often sucked his thumb when he was
scared. This resulted in the fear reaction going away.
Overall Conclusions:
 Watson was successful in the attempt to condition a
fear reaction into a child
 Watson & Rayner suggest that "it is probable" that
many phobias are acquired in this way
 Watson also argued that these phobias would only be
found in persons who are "constitutionally inferior".
 Learned (conditioned) responses generalise to similar
stimuli.

6. Evaluating the method and procedure
 There were high levels of control throughout because the study took place in a
controlled environment thus extraneous variables could be accounted for.
 A baseline condition was completed to show that Albert was not a fearful child.
 There was a control condition (building blocks) to show that the fearful reactions were
only from the furry objects.
 The study was filmed so that the findings could be confirmed by other people

7. Evaluating the method and procedure
 It lacks ecological validity so results may not be able to be generalised into real life
 There was only one participant, Albert B
 Lack of comparison can be made because only Albert was used in the study
 Albert's thumb was forcibly removed from the mouth so results could actually be from
frustration of the removal of the thumb and not from the furry things
 The results may have varied if it was another child used in the experiment due to Albert
growing up in a hospital

8. Alternative evidence
O H Mowrer (1947) - Two-process theory
 Suggested that operant condition could explain the maintenance of phobias that were
formed from classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning: explains how phobias are acquired
Operant conditioning: explains how phobias are maintained
Öst (1987)
 Said that not all phobias are preceded by a conditioning episode – though it is possible
that such traumatic incidents did happen, but have since been forgotten
Di Nardo et al (1988)
 Some people who have experienced a traumatic event, such as being bitten by a cat or
a dog, do not develop a phobia

9. Alternative evidence
Martin Seligman (1970) - Biological Preparedness
 He argued that animals, including humans are programmed, genetically, to rapidly
learn an association between certain stimuli and fear.
 The stimuli are referred to as 'ancient fears' and are things that would have been
dangerous in the humans evolutionary past. Therefore it is adaptive to rapidly learn to
avoid these stimuli.

10. Ethical and social implications
 Psychological harm and distress – Watson and Rayner caused fear and distress in
Albert B throughout the study, making it very unethical.
 Informed consent – Albert's mother should have been informed of all of the procedures
and the anticipated long-term consequences from the study. Also, there was a general
lack of informed consent from Albert himself as he was a baby and was not able to fully
understand.
 Right to withdraw – Albert was too young to be able to know how to actually withdraw
from the study so he was unable to do so

11. Ethical and social implications
Social implications
 The study has helped to advance science in terms of conditioning and how it works.
 The research from the study has demonstrated how phobias can be learnt through
classical conditioning, therefore, it could possibly be incorporated into treatments for
this type of behaviour.