Watson Rayner Behaviorism Flashcards
What was the aim of Watson and Rayner’s study
To demonstrate that fear can be learned through classical conditioning
Who was the participant in Watson and Rayner’s study
A 9-month-old baby named Little Albert
What stimuli did Little Albert initially show no fear towards
A white rat a rabbit a dog and other objects
What was the unconditioned stimulus in the study
A loud noise made by striking a metal bar
What was the unconditioned response in the study
Fear and distress in response to the loud noise
How was the conditioned response created
The white rat was repeatedly paired with the loud noise
What was the conditioned stimulus in the study
The white rat
What was the conditioned response in the study
Fear and distress in response to the white rat
What phenomenon did Watson and Rayner observe in Little Albert
Stimulus generalization he showed fear towards similar objects like a rabbit and fur coat
What ethical issues are raised by Watson and Rayner’s study
Lack of informed consent psychological harm and no deconditioning of the fear
What is a strength of Watson and Rayner’s study
It provided empirical evidence for classical conditioning in humans
What is a limitation of the study
It involved a single participant so lacks generalizability
Why is the ecological validity of the study criticized
The controlled lab setting does not reflect real-life situations
How did the study contribute to behaviorism
It supported the idea that behaviors including fears are learned rather than innate
What methodological issue limits the study
No objective measurement of Little Albert’s fear responses such as heart rate
