WatsonandLittlealbertexperimentBriefintroductionofJohnBroadusWatsonLittleAlbertexperimentCommentonlittlealbertexperimentJohnBroadusWatson(January9,1878–September25,1958)wasanAmericanpsychologistwhoestablishedthepsychologicalschoolofbehaviorism.Watsonpromotedachangeinpsychologythroughhisaddress,PsychologyastheBehavioristViewsit,which(1913).Throughhisbehavioristapproach,Watsonconductedresearchonanimalbehavior,childrearing,andadvertising.HeconductedthecontroversialLittleAlbertexperiment.JohnBroadusWatsonTheLittleAlbertexperimentwasacasestudyshowingempiricalevidenceofclassicalconditioninginhumans.Thisstudywasalsoanexampleofstimulusgeneralization.ItwascarriedoutbyJohnB.Watsonandhisassistant,RosalieRayner,atJohnsHopkinsUniversity.TheresultswerefirstpublishedintheFebruary1920issueoftheJournalofExperimentalPsychologyTheLittleAlbertexperimentMethodologySubject:ninemonthboyLittleAlbert,sonofawetnurseandanemployeeofthePhippsClinicProcedures:Step1:LittleAlbertwasgivenabatteryofbaselineemotionaltests:theinfantwasexposed,brieflyandforthefirsttime,toawhiterabbit,arat,adog,amonkey,maskswithandwithouthair,cottonwool,burningnewspapers.Step2:Albertwasthenplacedonamattressonatableinthemiddleofaroom.AwhitelaboratoryratwasplacednearAlbertandhewasallowedtoplaywithit.Atthispoint,thechildshowednofearoftherat.Hebegantoreachouttotheratasitroamedaroundhim.Step3:madealoudsoundbehindAlbert'sbackbystrikingasuspendedsteelbarwithahammerwhenthebabytouchedtherat.LittleAlbertrespondedtothenoisebycryingandshowingfear.severalsuchpairingsofthetwostimuliwereconducted.Step4:Albertwasagainpresentedwithonlytherat.Now,however,hebecameverydistressedastheratappearedintheroom.Hecried,turnedawayfromtherat,andtriedtomoveaway.progressionofresults1、Introductionofaloudsound(unconditionedstimulus)resultedinfear(unconditionedresponse),anaturalresponse.2、Introductionofarat(neutralstimulus)pairedwiththeloudsound(unconditionedstimulus)resultedinfear(unconditionedresponse).3、Successiveintroductionsofarat(conditionedstimulus)resultedinfear(conditionedresponse).Here,learningisdemonstrated.ResponsegeneralizationTheexperimentshowedthatLittleAlbertseemedtogeneralizehisresponsetofurryobjectssothatwhenWatsonsentanon-whiterabbitintotheroomseventeendaysaftertheoriginalexperiment,Albertalsobecamedistressed.Heshowedsimilarreactionswhenpresentedwithafurrydog,aseal-skincoat,andevenwhenWatsonappearedinfrontofhimwearingaSantaClausmaskwithwhitecottonballsashisbeard,althoughAlbertdidnotfeareverythingwithhair.Therewassomeconfusionwhenpairingthenoisewiththerabbitanddog.Postexperiment:PeterexperimentbyMarycoverJonessubject:three-year-oldnamedPeteralreadypossessedafearofwhiterabbits.methodology:directconditioning,whereapleasantstimulus,thechild'sfavoritefood,waspresentedalongwiththerabbit.TherabbitwasbroughtcloserandclosertoPeterwhileinthepresenceofhisfavoritefood.Eventually,thechildbecametolerantoftherabbitandwasabletotouchitwithoutfear.ThelawofaffectCritique1、Notdiachronic历时的CriticalreadingofWatsonandRayner's(1920)reportrevealslittleevidenceeitherthatAlbertdevelopedaratphobiaoreventhatanimalsconsistentlyevokedhisfear(oranxiety)duringWatsonandRayner'sexperiment.2、lackofreliabilityandcredibility:ItisdifficulttobecertainexactlywhathappenedduringtheLittleAlbertExperimentsincethereisalackofconcreteevidenceandscientificrecords.3、Offenceofethics:lastnegativeimpactonAlbert,violenceofhumanitarianism.Environmentalist:Twelveinfants:nurturesurpassnaturePsychologicalCareofInfantandChild:alloftheweaknesses,reserves,fears,cautions,andinferioritiesofourparentsarestampedintouswithsledgehammerblows.Watsoninferredthatemotionaldisabilitieswerearesultofpersonaltreatment,notinherited.Twelveinfantstheory:Givemeadozenhealthyinfants,well-formed,andmyownspecifiedworldtobringthemupinandI'llguaranteetotakeanyoneatrandomandtrainhimtobecomeanytypeofspecialistImightselect–doctor,lawyer,artist,merchant-chiefand,yes,evenbeggar-manandthief,regardlessofhistalents,penchants,tendencies,abilities,vocations,andraceofhisancestors.----JohnBroadusWatson