Behavioural explanation - Watson & Raynor

Behavioural explanation - Watson & Raynor

1. Aim

   • See if fear can be induced on unfeared item
   • See if fear can be moved to similar objects
   • Will time effect fear response

2. Method/ Procedure + findings

   • Case study
   • Sample
     • Little Albert
       • 11 months old
       • Wet nurse child
         • Brought up in hospital envrionment
       • Unemotional towards...
         • Rat
         • Rabbit
         • Dog
         • Monkey
         • Mask with hair or wool
       • Scared of steel bar struck behind head
         • Held breath
         • Began to cry
   • Session...
     • 1
       • Presented with rat in lab with steel bar
         • Bar struck when rat was touched
           • 1st presentation = jumper + fell forward
           • 2nd presentation = began to wimper
         • Given week off
     • 2
       • Rat alone presented...
         • ...3 presentation of rat with noise...
           • ...Rat alone presented...
             • ...2 presentations of rat with noise...
               • ...Rat alone presented
                 • Reacted by...
                   • Immediate crying
                   • Turning to left
                   • Crawling away
       • 5 days off
     • 3
       • Given toy blocks to play with...
         • ...Rat alone presented
           • as well as...
             • Rabbit
             • Dog
             • Seal-fur coat
             • Cotton wool
             • Watson's hair
             • Santa claus mask
         • Negative responses to all presentations...
           • ...except toy blocks
           • Less negativity to cotton wool
         • Used between presentations
       • 5 days off
     • 4
       • Rat alone presented...
         • ...freshen up response to rat...
           • ...Condition to fear...
             • dog
             • Rabbit
             • Cried and crawled away
             • Taken to different room to see if reaction the same
               • Only slight reaction till it was freshened up
         • Weaker response
       • 1 month off
     • 5
       • Tested with...
         • Santa claus mask
         • Fur coat
         • Rat
         • Rabbit
         • Dog

3. Evaluation

4. Conclusions

   • After 5 presentations...
     • ...Fear response was evident
   • Fear can be transferred to other objects
     • Less prominent than rat
   • Fear was not removed
     • Subject taken from hospital