Flashcards
Watson and Rayner (1920) - learning theories classic
Flashcards do conjunto (13)
- 1AimTo explore how classical conditioning could be used to create a phobia of previously unfeared objects in humans, see if the fear could be transferred to similar objects, see what effect time will have on the phobia and see if it's possible to remove the phobia.
- 2PptLittle Albert, lived in a hospital environment, placid.
Showed no fear of a rat, rabbit, dog, monkey, mask with hair or cotton wool. - 3What happened to Little Albert at 8 months?fear response tested by hitting a suspended steel bar with a hammer behind him - he was startled and began to cry
- 4What what age did they experiments begin?11 months
- 5Procedure - session 1Rat + noise X2
Given a week off - 6Session 2Rat + no noise
Rat + noise X3
Rat + no noise
Rat + noise X2
Rat + no noise
(Albert began immediately crying even when he saw the rat with no noise)
5 days off - 7Session 3 - generalisationNeutral stimulus = toy blocks that calmed Albert down
Albert was presented with:
1 - Rabbit
2 - Dog
3 - Seal-fur coat
4 - Cotton wool
5 - Watson's hair
6 - A santa claus mask
(all interspersed with blocks to calm him down - he cryed and moved away from all)
5 days off - 8Session 4 - effect of timeRat + noise = response was weaker
Performed conditioning again = more fear
Also conditioned response to dog and rabbit = large fear
Also in well-lit lecture theatre = slight fear
Given 1 month off - 9Session 5Tested again with various stimuli = varying degrees of fear reactions to all stimuli, still crying and crawling away most of the time.
Although less frightened of the rabbit - wanted to play with it. - 10FindingsSession 2 = after 5 presentations, a fear response had been conditioned
Sessions 3 & 4 = fear generalised to other similar objects
Session 5 = fear response didn't disappear over time
Little Albert was removed from the hospital after session 5 - never found out if fear response could be removed. - 11ConclusionSucceeded in conditioning in an infant, fear of an animal the child wouldn't ordinarily be frightened of. Stimulus generalisation was also claimed as Albert transferred the fear to other similar stimuli. Because the conditioned response was still present after 31 days, W&R concluded it might last a lifetime. W&R demonstrated how CC can occur in humans.
- 12StrengthsLab experiment - standardised procedure, highly controlled - high internal validity and reliability.
More than 1 researcher - inter-rater reliability.
Good application - can provide a way to treat phobia.
Psychological knowledge - demonstrated that CC can occur in humans. - 13Weaknesses1 ppt - may be unique, low pop. validity, age bias, culture bias.
Artificial environment - low eco. validity.
Observation - subjective.
Used for social control/ socially sensitive.
Unethical - no protection from harm, no debrief, no right to withdraw, no right to privacy.