Tutorial 2: The little Albert study Flashcards
what were the key questions Watson and Rayner (1920) set out to investigate?
Can an infant be conditioned to fear an animal that appears simultaneously with a loud, fear-arousing sound? - Would such fear transfer to other animals or to inanimate objects? -> generalisation - How long would such fears persist?
how did they address their questions and what did they find?
Presented a white rat (CS) followed by a loud clanging sound (of a hammer and
steel bar) (US) -> crying and avoidance when rat presented without loud noise
(CR)
- Presented the rat, wooden blocks, rabbit, short haired dog, sealskin coat,
package of white cotton , white hair of Watson and assistants , beared santa
claus mask -> strong response ; rat, rabbit, dog and sealskin coat , negative
response ; mask and Watson hair, mild response ; cotton
- After a year, presented same stimulus to child -> elicited same response but
lessened
what
Explain how the story of Little Albert has been distorted as it travelled down the ages since the paper by Watson and Rayner (1920) was published. Should we be wary of second-hand accounts of psychological research? What are some of the reasons causing such distortions?
Distortions by Watson himself Basic experimental methods and results – expanded on the loud clanging sound No detail of the original study - Distortions by scientists who took control of the narrative Seligman – misrepresents the ease with which Albert was conditioned, the durability of his reactions and details of an attempt to replicate the Albert study -> Albert’s conditioning occurred in two trials and this prepared fear conditioning did not extinguish readily Eysenck – asserted that “Albert developed a phobia for white rats and indeed in all furry animals”- Distortions by authors of textbooks Simplification Twists on details eg Albert’s age, stimuli (rabbit/rat)
What methodological and ethical limitations can you identify regarding Watson and Rayner’s 1920 study (Read carefully page 155 in Harris, 1979)?
Methodological limitations
+ confounding variables -> dogs barking
+ no follow up studies -> Albert’s phobia of rats
+ Failure to replicate findings
+ infant as test -> no verbal report , correlation not causation
+ stimuli (animals/objects) did not consistently evoke fear
+ data collection not explained thoroughly – classical or operant/instrumental
conditioning
Ethical limitations
+ long lasting effects
+ did not decondition Albert
+ Informed consent obtained from Albert
+ Reimbursement for Albert’s parents
+ Plans to stimulate Albert’s erogenous parts?
What was Watson’s view on human personality? Do you agree with this view?
Watson believed that personality is shaped entirely by environmental influences and experiences, especially from early childhood. He argued that individuals could be conditioned to behave in certain ways, regardless of their natural tendencies or genetic predispositions. Watson dismissed the idea of innate traits or abilities, emphasizing that behavior is learned through conditioning.
Think and find out more about the social, historical and scientific context in which Watson’s views were shaped. How does Watson’s views contrast to the set of ideas and practices known as Eugenics (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics)
‘ In other words, positive eugenics is aimed at encouraging reproduction among the genetically advantaged, for example, the eminently intelligent, the healthy, and the successful.’ - wikipedia
Watson’s behaviorism emerged in the early 20th century, during a period when psychology was shifting from philosophical to more scientific methods. It was also influenced by the growing popularity of psychology as a discipline that could shape behavior through scientific principles.
Eugenics, a movement that gained momentum in the early 20th century, advocated for improving the genetic quality of the human population through selective breeding and sterilization. Watson’s behaviorism stands in contrast to eugenics because it emphasizes the power of environmental factors in shaping behavior, rather than genetics or inherited traits. Eugenics focused on genetic predispositions and the idea of “improving” the human race, while Watson believed that any individual could be shaped into any type of person with the right environmental influences.
If Watson’s view was correct, could humans be held accountable for the conditions of their lives and their choices?
If Watson’s behaviorism were correct and behavior was entirely shaped by environmental influences, it would suggest that humans are not fully responsible for their actions or life conditions because they are a product of their upbringing and conditioning. This would raise ethical questions about accountability and free will. However, if environmental factors can be changed, individuals could also be “re-conditioned,” so there may still be room for personal responsibility in terms of changing one’s behavior.
Psychological theories are embedded within a specific historical and social context, develop in interaction with theoretical and ideological movements of their time, and influence daily life and practices. Explain the context within which Behaviourism emerged, identify other theories and ideas it interacted with, and try to identify lasting influences in daily life.
do more research for this:
Behaviorism emerged in the early 20th century as a response to introspective methods of psychology. At the time, psychology was transitioning from philosophical speculation to empirical, scientific study. The rise of behaviorism was also influenced by the works of Pavlov and his conditioning experiments, as well as the need for a more objective, testable approach to studying behavior.
Behaviorism interacted with other contemporary theories, including psychoanalysis and eugenics. Psychoanalysis, championed by Freud, focused on unconscious drives and early childhood experiences, which contrasted with behaviorism’s emphasis on observable behavior and environmental influences. Eugenics, as discussed earlier, was concerned with genetic inheritance, whereas behaviorism focused on the impact of the environment.
Lasting influences of behaviorism are seen in areas such as education (e.g., behavior modification techniques), advertising (e.g., reinforcement and conditioning), and therapeutic practices (e.g., cognitive-behavioral therapy). Behaviorism’s emphasis on the environment’s role in shaping behavior continues to influence fields like child development and learning theories today.
