Watson and Rayner Flashcards
Methodology
Stated that it is an experiment, however the word experiment was used for many methodologies (Milgram)
Controlled environment
Controlled observation
Focused on one child. He was used to environment as his mother was a wet nurse for Harriet Lane home for Invalid Children.
Health was ‘one of the best youngster ever bought into the hospital’ his stability was one of the reasons why he was used as a ppt.
Watson and Rayner though they would do him ‘relatively little harm’
Procedure
8 months 26days: struck a hammer on suspended bar behind Albert to determine whether a fer reaction could be created with loud sound.
9 months: See if other fear reactions could be created with other stimuli apart from loud noise. Done by confronting him with white rat, rabbit dog, monkey, wool
Alberts reactions took on motion picture camera
11 months 3 days: Testing for a conditioned emotional response started. rat is presented to Albert when then reaches of it. As he touches it a loud noise is made behind him.
10 days: Joint stimulation. Rat and no sound, then joint stimulation when presenting rat and sound three times. then rat alone. hint stimulation twice more. then rat alone. Stage deminstarates that a fear response can be conditioned by a neutral stimuli.
15 days: Generalisation. Albert was presented with the rat, wooden blocks, rabbit, dog, Watsons hair, and Santa clause mask.
20 days: change of environment. after more joint stimulation with the rat he was taken to a large well lit lecture hall. Separately, the rat, rabbit dog are all presented alone. Following joint stimulation with rat and sound, the rat alone. the rabbit alone, then the dog alone, however the dog barked. Emotional transfers can occur.
21 days: Presented the Santa mask fur coat blocks, fur, rat rabbit and dog.
Planned detachment did not take place.
Results
First time at 8months when introduced to loud noise, he started violently, and his arms raised. second time his lips trembled. third time he showed first emotional situation (crying fit)
Other stimuli did not produce any fear in Albert.
11months 3 days, he started and buried his face into the mattress. Did not cry.
10 days: Joint stimulation made Albert cry. each time joint stimulation occurred her began withdrawing from rat as soon it was presented.
15 days: He played with blocks, whimpered at rat immediately, when presented with it again he fell over and scurried away, Rabbit he immediately turned away and began to cry,
Dog not as such a violent reaction, when got close to his head he stood up, fell, and turned away. started to cry. fur coat: turned away and began to fret. Cotton wool, touched it but immediately withdrew. Watson hair, completely negative, other observers hair he played with. Santa mask was ‘pronouncedly negative’
20 days: Rat alone, no sudden fear but held his hands away from it. rabbit alone, he turned away. Dog alone, cried until it left. Rat once again gave slight negative reaction but with joint stimulation Albert jumped. Rabbit alone fell back and whimpered. Dog alone: no reaction until the dog barked, then Albert began wailing.
21: Santa mask, withdrew and slapped at it (not touched) when forced to touch it he cried. Fur coat was the same. Played with the blocks. Rat, slight negative reaction. Rabbit, Albert pushed it away but when it got closer he started wailing. His hands were placed on the rabbit and he withdrew, put his hands over his face. Dog, he began to cry, did not fall like he did normally.
Observations: Sucked thumbs to block unpleasant stimuli, when Albert was on the verge of tears he put his thumb in his mouth, when he did this he seemed unbothered by stimuli
Conclusion
Fear reaction can be created
Probable that phobias in psychopathology are created by conditioned emption reactions either directly or transferred.
Persistence of condition response are more found in weak willed people.
Emotional disturbances in adulthood are not up to sex like Freudian would theorise. Its in regard to the fear responses that have been conditioned yet up in infancy in all three of fundamental human emotions, love, fear and rage.
