Evaluation of Little Albert

Question 1

Methodology- control?

Answer 1

A strength as there were high levels of control
-Took place in a dark controlled environment so extraneous variables could be controlled
-Baseline test done before study
-Filmed study

Question 2

Methodology- controlled environment weakness?

Answer 2

Low ecological validity
-done in a dark room so its unnatural environment
-Phobias don’t usually start this way

Question 3

Methodology- sample?

Answer 3

A weakness
Only one participant
-Watson concluded that there was a conditioned with fear, but he had no control group to compare so how can this be accurate

Question 4

Ethics- informed consent?

Answer 4

Participant gained consent from parent
Although this is consent, should we be doing studies on baby’s in the first place who can’t tell us if there okay or not

Question 5

Ethics- confidentiality?

Answer 5

Modern psychology says that ever attempt should be made to keep p’s hidden
Albert wasn’t kept confidential, although they hid his name people quickly figured out who he was, also video of experiment is published

Question 6

Ethics- protection from harm?

Answer 6

Albert experienced psychological harm
He was conditioned to feel fear, this is not okay and breeches the BPS code

Question 7

Ethics- right to withdrawal?

Answer 7

No issue in experiment

Question 8

Scientific benefits of study?

Answer 8

-Demonstrated that phobias can be learned through classical conditioning
-Help us understand how phobias can develop, with this it gives us more information on how to ‘cure’ phobias
-It is wrong though as they traumatised a baby

Question 9

Social implications- Education?

Answer 9

Classroom environment, add pleasant/associations/context dependant learning, associate room with informality
-Learning techniques

Question 10

Social implications- Workplace?

Answer 10

-Google allows employees to wear casual clothes as they associate these clothes with freedom and creativity
-Stress response through association

Question 11

Social implications- Families?

Answer 11

Use conditioning to shape children’s behaviour
-Children associate blankets and toys with calmness
- Nurture and child rearing process

Question 12

Social implications- Health?

Answer 12

Therapy’s- cure for phobias
-Hospitals/doctors waiting rooms more pleasant to avoid negative connotations

Question 13

Social implications- Law?

Answer 13

-Stop smacking children
-Use aversion therapy for undesirable behaviour

Question 14

Alternative evidence- who are our sociologists?

Answer 14

O H Mowrer
Mane Seligman 1970

Question 15

Alternative evidence- O H Mowrer 1947?

Answer 15

Limitation
Operant conditioning can explain the maintenance of the phobias that have been formed by classical conditioning (Two process theory)
Avoidance of therapy is negative reinforcement, this reduces fear and thus reinforced
Also positive so no anxiety’s formed in avoidance so it maintains avoidance responses

Question 16

Alternative evidence- Mane Seligman 1970?

Answer 16

Limitation
-You don’t need to be conditioned to be scared of things that can kill you
-Animals and humans are genetically programmed to learn association behaviour stimuli and fear
-Stimuli and fear things that would have dangerous in evolutionary past like snakes heights etc, so ultimately its adaptive to rapidly learn to avoid situations