Watson & Rayner (1920) (Little Albert) Description

Watson & Rayner (1920) (Little Albert) Description

1. AIM

   • To investigate whether a child could be classically conditioned to be scared of a innocuous stimulus.

2. PROCEDURE

   • A 9-month old infant, Albert, was used for the study (lab method). He was assessed for emotional stability and he was unafraid of a range of stimuli including a white rat, a rabbit and some wooden blocks. Albert liked the rat and wanted to play with it. Two months later, Albert was shown the white rat and a metal bar was placed behind him, creating a loud noise. The noise scared Albert. The procedure was done five times a week and then twice more seventeen days later.

3. RESULTS

   • When he heard the noise, Albert got scared and and stuck his face into the mattress. The second time, he became suspicious of the rat. After, he leaned away from the rat as soon as he saw it.

4. CONCLUSION

   • Albert was classically conditioned to fear the rat and other similar-looking objects, including cotton wool and a Santa Claus mask with a white beard. This is called generalisation. He became increasingly less scared of it over a few weeks, showing extinction.