Watson and Reyner (1920)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

to investigate if a human child could learn to be afraid of a previously neutral stimulus, which initially caused no fear response and whether this recreation would be generalised to similar object

Question 2

Procedure labelled stimulus and responses

Answer 2

UCS -> UCR
Loud noise
+
NS
White rat
——————————
CS -> CR
White rat -> fear

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

Albert
9 month old infant
Chosen because of stoic, unemotional character

Question 4

Procedure for finding stimulus

Answer 4

Tested Albert responses to various stimuli (dog, mask, rat, burning newspaper)
Banging hammer against pole, Albert shows starting response, second hit same response and lips puckered
Third hit, child broke down in crying fit

Question 5

Procedure prior to conditioning

Answer 5

Two months later, 11 months old
Albert presented with rat -> no response
Albert touched rat -> didnt cry
Hit steel bar when A touched rat -> demonstrated fear
Later trials -> crawled away from rat

Question 6

Procedure after conditioning

Answer 6

Stimulus generalised
Presented with rabbit
Leaned away and cried
Same reaction to dog, seal skin, santa claus mask

Question 7

What other procedure took place

Answer 7

Repeated in different room
Ensuring room wasnt producing response but stimulus was
Context effects

Question 8

Results

Answer 8

Phobia not previously feared could be learned
If NS + UCS triggers UCR leads to stimulus association
Stimulus of rat = fear
Al fear response lasted 31 days (then left hospital so couldn’t be tested further), response got weaker ver time

Question 9

Conclusion

Answer 9

Infant can be classically conditioned to develop fear (of white rat)
Present for long time so potentially long lasting
Objects similar also produce fear response

Question 10

Strengths

Answer 10

-Scientific methodology

Question 11

Weaknesses

Answer 11

-Ecological validity
-Ethical issues
-Generalisability
-Biasty
-Participant variables

Question 12

Ecological validity

Answer 12

Lab exp, tasks given not necessarily that would be expected to confront him in normal everyday life

Question 13

Ethical issues

Answer 13

Psychological and physical well-being of Al was neglected by researchers
Obviously distressed by conditioning process
Researchers, unable to decondition phobia
Frid lund et al (2012) - Al suffered with hydrocephalus since birth
Not healthy, claimed Watson knew

Question 14

Generalisability

Answer 14

Chose Al because he was unemotional, and representative of individuals of the same age and gender

Question 15

Biasty

Answer 15

One culture (USA), can’t generalise other cultures

Question 16

Scientific methodology

Answer 16

Degree of control in observing stimulus, response link
Measuring fear in Al before conditioning act as a baseline comparison
Conduct a study in a different room to eliminate context effects