Watson and Rayner

Question 1

What was the methodology?

Answer 1

One participant, 9 month old male baby
Controlled observation
Not a case study as it only focused on the response to the stimulus and not other aspects of his life
Not an experiment as only one condition measured

Question 2

Why was the study not an experiment?

Answer 2

only one condition measured

Question 3

Why was the study not a case study?

Answer 3

only focused on the response to the stimulus and not other aspects of his life

Question 4

How many sessions were there?

Answer 4

5 + emotional tests

Question 5

What was the procedure of the emotional tests?

Answer 5

Shown objects and his response noted
White rat, rabbit, dog, wool, newspapers
Steel bar struck with hammer close to his head

Question 6

How old was Albert during the first session?

Answer 6

11 months and 3 days

Question 7

What was the purpose of the first session?

Answer 7

To establish a conditioned emotional response

Question 8

What was the procedure of the first session?

Answer 8

Presented with the rat, when Albert reached for it, the bar was struck behind his head

Question 9

How old was Albert during the second session?

Answer 9

11 months and 10 days

Question 10

What was the purpose of the second session?

Answer 10

Testing the conditioned emotional response

Question 11

What was the procedure of the second session?

Answer 11

Given the rat but no sound was made

5 counts of joint stimulation

Question 12

What was joint stimulation?

Answer 12

When Albert was shown the rat at the same time that the bar was struck behind his head

Question 13

How old was Albert during the third session?

Answer 13

11 months and 15 days

Question 14

What was the purpose of the third session?

Answer 14

To see if the response was generalised to similar stimuli

Question 15

What was the procedure of the third session?

Answer 15

He was presented with objects his response noted

Fur coat, dog, rabbit, wooden blocks

Question 16

What was the purpose of showing him wooden blocks?

Answer 16

They were a control stimuli to make sure his response was just to the objects and not his general emotional state

Question 17

How old was Albert during the fourth session?

Answer 17

11 months and 20 days

Question 18

What was the purpse of the fourth session?

Answer 18

To see the effects of changing the environment

Question 19

What was the procedure of the fourth session?

Answer 19

Given more joint stimulation and taken to a well lit lecture theature with 4 other people present and sat on a table in the centre of the room before being shown stimuli

Question 20

How old was Albert during the last session?

Answer 20

12 months and 21 days

Question 21

What was the purpose of the last session?

Answer 21

To measure the effects of time

Question 22

What was the procedure of the last session?

Answer 22

Returned to the lab and shown stimuli

rat, mask, rabbit and dog

Question 23

What were the findings of the emotional tests?

Answer 23

No fear response to objects before conditioning
First time bar was struck: startled, raised arms and rapid breathing
Second time: Tremble
Third time: Crying

Question 24

What were the findings of the first session?

Answer 24

When bar was struck he fell forward but did not cry. The second time he fell forward and whimpered

Question 25

What were the findings of the second session?

Answer 25

He just stared at the rat
When he reached for it, the rat started to nuzzle and be pulled away
In joint stimulation he became more and more distressed and tried to crawl away

Question 26

What were the findings of the third session?

Answer 26

He played with blocks happily but was fearful of the rat
Scared of the rabbit but not as much
Not reallly scared of dog or coat
No fear response with Watson's hair
Cautious of cotton wool

Question 27

What were the findings of the fourth session?

Answer 27

Less extreme but after joint stimulation it became more severe
Positive reaction to woodel blocks

Question 28

What were the findings of the fifth session?

Answer 28

Less extreme

Question 29

What are the conclusions of the study?

Answer 29

Easy to make fear response
Generalise to similar objects
Phobias are aquired this way
Freud was wrong about sucking thunb

Question 30

What evaluative points can be made about the methodology and procedures?

Answer 30

Sample

Controlled conditions

Question 31

How did Watson and Rayner ensure it was a controlled study?

Answer 31

Controlled environment
Baseline condition of his reactions before conditioning
Wooden blocks acted as a control condition to ensure his behaviour was only to fluffy animals

Question 32

How was the sample in the study a negative point?

Answer 32

One participant
Stable so can’t generalise to unstable children
Impossible to know if it was unique reactions

Question 33

What points can be made when evaluating the findings and conclusions? (Alternative evidence)

Answer 33

Two process theory

Learning is not the only explanation

Question 34

What is the two process theory?

Answer 34

Classical conditioning explains how they are aquired

Operant conditioning explains how they persist as avoidance of the phobia is negative reinforcement

Question 35

Who came up with the two process theory?

Answer 35

Mowrer

Question 36

How is learning not the only explanation for aquiring phobias?

Answer 36

Ozt: Traumatic events may have occured that have been forgotten
Seligman: Biological prepardness where we are genetically programmed to make rapid reponses to certain stimuli and fear

Question 37

What are the ethical issues and social implications?

Answer 37

Creating fear
Psychological harm
Lasting effects

Question 38

Why is the fact that they created fear an ethical issue?

Answer 38

Unsure if it was excessive

Left a week between sessions not to traumatize him which shows they were aware

Question 39

Why is psychological harm an ethical issue?

Answer 39

They stopped him sucking his thumb which made his experiance worse and made it more likely that he would suffer harm.

Question 40

Why will the study have lasting effects?

Answer 40

Albert was removed from the hospital before deconditioning