...The “Little Albert” Experiment was conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Raynor. Watson was interested in showing that emotional reactions could be classically conditioned or learned in people. He based his research off of Pavlov’s research with dogs. The participant in the experiment was “Albert B”, as Watson called him, but became known as Little Albert. Around 8 months, Little Albert was placed in a room and an experimenter stood behind him and made a loud noise by striking a hammer on a steel bar. He began to cry after hearing the sound a few times. At the age of 9 months, Watson and his counterpart, Rosalie Raynor, exposed Albert to a series of stimuli including a white rat, a rabbit, a monkey, masks, and burning newspapers and observed the boy’s reactions. He initially showed no fear of any of the objects. The next time Albert was exposed to the rat, Watson made a loud noise by striking the hammer on the steel bar. Naturally the child began to cry after hearing the loud noise. After repeatedly pairing the rat with the loud noise Albert began to cry by just simply seeing the rat. They also observed that stimulus generalization had occurred. Albert feared not just the white rat, but also a wide variety of similar white objects and furry objects. In this experiment the neutral stimulus was the white rat, the unconditioned stimulus was the loud noise, the unconditioned response was fear, the conditioned stimulus was the white rat, and the conditioned response was fear. ...
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...Homework: Little Albert. 1. Did the results of Watson and Rayner's experiment support their hypothesis? - Yes, it did. The hypothesis was that most human behaviours and emotional reactions are built up on conditioned response. The result from the conditioning Watson and Rayner subject Albert to proves this hypothesis because Albert responded to the unconditioned stimulus which was brought around by the unconditioned response that is also known as fear. After combining these specific factors, the rat became the conditioned stimulus and that elicited a conditioned response from Albert. A conditioned response in this case, is fear. 2. How did Albert's response become generalised? - Albert’s response became generalised after he was subjected to ‘conditioning’ by Watson and Rayner when he was eleven years old. They instill the fear of rats within Albert and not soon after, they present him with the same toys back when he was nine years old. Albert was afraid of the toys that look even remotely furry such as a dog, a rabbit and a Santa Claus mask. However, Albert was not afraid of the blocks that were presented to him and from there, both Watson and Rayner have concluded that Albert is afraid of furry objects and therefore they have generalised his fear based upon the results of their experiment that was conducted on him. 3. How were the principles of classical conditioning used to reduce Peter's fear of rabbits? - The principles of classical conditioning were used to create...
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...A Reflection Paper on the Article : Little Emotional Albert In the history of psychology, we can see how the tsunami-like waves of Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory engulfed most of the study of human behavior and mental processes in mid 1900’s. such breakthrough provided convincing explanations about he dimension of man in accordance to the discipline of psychology. Freudians’ conception that we are governed by our unconscious desires and repressed emotions prove to be cunning enough to leave the rest of the world agrees to their claim. Freud’s brainchild stood up like invincible walls – until an attempt to shake and bang the wall down took place. Although we can say that the wall was not completely toppled down, we cannot deny the fact that it left huge cracks and holes to it, paving the way for another dogma to emerge. With an agitate esprit to counter Freud’s theory, Watson and his colleagues delivered the birth of Behaviorism. Banking on the idea that behavior is generated outside the person through various environmental or situational stimuli, Watson was eager to provide justice to his point. Through his works, he figured that the environment played a very significant role in shaping one’s behavior. Watson and company espoused on the idea that emotional responses exists in us because we have been conditioned to respond emotionally to a certain stimuli in the environment. Therefore, emotional responses and all other human behavior are learned through conditioning...
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...experiment also raises many ethical concerns. ABSTRACT When dealing with the observation of what we can learn from watching the behavior of the person there would be a lot of factors and conditions that would have to be ethically applied which is why John Watsons case of Little Albert leaves a lot of questions. Psychological testing and theories all play a significant part in psychology. Over time people have learned what to do and what not to do. Ethics seem to always be a question especially when dealing with psychology. I think this is true because there always seems to be some type of controversy to the science and experimentation of it. In the name of science there have been experiments and studies that have been questionable and whether or not they were ethical or not. Over the years a considerable amount of controversy has taken place due to one specific study. This study was over a little boy whom they called Albert and was conducted by John B. Watson, known as the founder of behaviorism, with the aid of his assistant later turned wife Rosalie Rayner. This test by Watson has brought up many questions and debates. It is no wonder that Watson choose the experiment or study on little Albert, he himself had somewhat of a rebellious streak about him and was even described by one of his professors as a “nonconformist” (Schultz & Schultz p. 212)....
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...Little Albert and Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning may be defined as; a kind of associative learning where two stimuli happen in a combined as well as frequent manner because of which, they ultimately become linked with each other. The outcome of this union is that each stimulus sooner or later generates an identical response. In fact, this technique is applied in behavioral training in which Unconditioned Stimulus (US) is paired with and leads towards the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) until the conditioned stimulus unaccompanied is enough to bring out the response (Abell et al., 1999). To understand it clearly, there is need to recall the experiment performed by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920. Watson suggested that psychological researches should be based merely on apparent behaviors and due to this viewpoint, his research was related with conditioning of fear (learned). He demonstrated above conditioning via usual procedures including association of stimuli, and research subject chosen by him for the purpose was an 11-month old child Albert. Albert was an extremely firm infant who hardly ever exhibited fear of anything involving the white rat present in laboratory, but Watson and Rayner noticed that he was afraid of loud noises (Unconditioned Stimulus). They decided to implement this innate fear response (Unconditioned Response (UR)) shown by Albert as a tool in their study. So; they created piercing sound by striking a big steel pipe with hammer. ...
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...Introduction to Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning is a type of learning that had a major influence on the school of thought in psychology known as behaviorism. Discovered by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Behaviorism is based on the assumption that learning occurs through interactions with the environment. Two other assumptions of this theory are that the environment shapes behavior and that taking internal mental states such as thoughts, feelings, and emotions into consideration is useless in explaining behavior. It's important to note that classical conditioning involves placing a neutral signal before a naturally occurring reflex. In Pavlov's classic experiment with dogs, the neutral signal was the sound of a tone and the naturally occurring reflex was salivating in response to food. By associating the neutral stimulus with the environmental stimulus (the presentation of food), the sound of the tone alone could produce the salivation response. In order to understand how more about how classical conditioning works, it is important to be familiar with the basic principles of the process. The Unconditioned Stimulus The unconditioned stimulus is one that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response. For example, when you smell one of your favorite foods, you may immediately feel very hungry...
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...In: Philosophy and Psychology Reflection Paper The “Little Albert” Experiment was conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Raynor. Watson was interested in showing that emotional reactions could be classically conditioned or learned in people. He based his research off of Pavlov’s research with dogs. The participant in the experiment was “Albert B”, as Watson called him, but became known as Little Albert. Around 8 months, Little Albert was placed in a room and an experimenter stood behind him and made a loud noise by striking a hammer on a steel bar. He began to cry after hearing the sound a few times. At the age of 9 months, Watson and his counterpart, Rosalie Raynor, exposed Albert to a series of stimuli including a white rat, a rabbit, a monkey, masks, and burning newspapers and observed the boy’s reactions. He initially showed no fear of any of the objects. The next time Albert was exposed to the rat, Watson made a loud noise by striking the hammer on the steel bar. Naturally the child began to cry after hearing the loud noise. After repeatedly pairing the rat with the loud noise Albert began to cry by just simply seeing the rat. They also observed that stimulus generalization had occurred. Albert feared not just the white rat, but also a wide variety of similar white objects and furry objects. In this experiment the neutral stimulus was the white rat, the unconditioned stimulus was the loud noise, the unconditioned response was fear, the conditioned stimulus was the white...
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...conditioning and operant conditioning. Some phobias are believed to be developed through classical conditioning. If a neutral stimulus is paired with and unconditioned stimulus that creates an unconditioned response that causes fear, a conditioned stimulus of fear will occur every time you encounter the neutral stimulus. In a study performed by JohnWatson, the founder of American behaviorism, he tested the theory of phobias developed through classical conditioning. Choosing a healthy nine month old baby, Little Albert, he experimented with a rat and loud banging of a steel hammer. After being presented with the rat, Little Albert played with the rat and had no fear. After being presented with the steel being banged, he became scared. After a few months of combining the rat with the loud banging, Little Albert became very fearful of the rat. Little Albert learned to associate the loud banging with the rat. This classical conditioning produced a conditioned stimulus or an emotional response of fear and a phobia. Addiction is a learned behavior because the initial pleasure or enjoyment is rewarding. According to the principles of operant conditioning, rewarded behaviors will increase with usage of certain substances. Drugs are substances that cause addictions in humans. Drugs are mostly addicting because they cause Dopamine and serotonin levels to rise. Dopamines are neurotransmitters with wide-ranging effects...
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...born in Greenville, S.C. in 1878 and died in 1958. He focused his studies and analysis on the observation of human beings. He originated the school of behaviorism which deals with behavior in response to stimuli. He saw psychology as the study of human behavior and the ability to predict and control those behaviors. John B. Watson is very well known for his experiment called “Little Albert” in which he theorized that children have three basic emotional reactions which are fear, rage and love. Through his experiment, he wanted to prove that these three basic emotional reactions could be artificially conditioned in children by operant means. In the Little Albert experiment, Watson took an 11-month old infant and repeatedly presented the infant with a rat in conjunction with a sudden, loud noise to condition the child to be afraid of the rat. Although the infant was not fearful of the rat prior to this experiment, Watson wanted to prove that he could instill a fear of the rat in Little Albert by means of classical conditioning. Watson’s experiment was clearly a success because Little Albert was...
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...such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma and most often an interruption in a person’s life (Robinson & Berridge, 2003). For the most part, addiction is a disease. When we are born, we start experimenting and learning for survival among other things. Phobias can develop through learning. The two most common and prominent ways or styles of learning are classical and operant learning. Classical and operant conditioning are psychological processes in which a person learns. Therefore, phobias and addictions are associated to classical and operant conditioning. Learning theorist, Edward Thorndike and Albert Bandura can account for two emotional difficulties, which are phobias and addictions. Learning theorist also include behaviorist Edward Tolman, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, and British naturalist Charles Darwin. Phobias and addictions are emotional issues or difficulties that many people have to cope with daily. Phobias are irrational fear. These fears can be powerful and at times devastating yet they are unfounded and are not based on fact or reality. In addition, addiction most often involves a psychologically or physically need for a substance or object, which a person, cannot control in order to perform certain behaviors or actions; for example, drug abuse, gambling, or criminal activity. Ultimately, individuals who continue to use addictive substances or perform addictive actions such as gambling, build up a tolerance and need to...
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...THE THESIS PARAGRAPH: • Society is like its own little exclusive club. If an individual fits the criteria, then that person is in; otherwise, an “unwanted” sign is put up, and the outcast is pushed aside. Through books and novels, alienation has revealed the true values of society by using a character’s status as an outcast to prove how un-adaptable cultures are. In Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Meursault’s creed is why is he shunned and not accepted by society. (What is that creed? What does society value?) • The common values of a society do not necessarily dictate how all its citizens will act. In The Stranger, Camus creates a society in Northern Africa where people live according to both their material and emotional needs. Meursault, however, illustrates a point of view that seems devoid of emotional need. Thus, he does not live in accord with the virtues of the same society that gives him his life and possessions. His decision to kill a man—a choice devoid of sufficient reason—is the pivotal point between his acceptance within his society and the malice he faces for violating the human right to life. Ultimately, Camus shows how the popular resentment of this murder is based on society’s ideals of justice, love, and a life of purpose—all virtues that Meursault does not have. (Very nice but mention Camus’s first name and introduce Meursault as a character.) THE THESIS STATEMENT: • Albert Camus portrays his existential themes of the irrationality...
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...behaviorism. His disliking of the structuralism and functionalism approaches led Watson to consider psychology a science of behavior. Rather than focusing on methods like introspection, Watson strongly suggests that psychological research involve examinations of the measurable and observable behaviors. In his classic study of Little Albert, Watson demonstrates how learning of fear can occur through the principle of classical conditioning. Watson and other behaviorists like B.F. Skinner also emphasize that environmental factors affect and determine behavior. Skinner took the study of behaviorism to the next level by proposing concepts like mind, consciousness, and feelings were neither measureable or observable and were, therefore, not necessary in explaining behavior. Skinner claims that one can explain behavior by analyzing the conditions present before a behavior occurs and by analyzing the consequences that follow the behavior. The principles associated with Skinner’s operant conditioning suggest personality as a function of environmental influences rather than unconscious thoughts and feelings. However, this belief faces criticism for paying little attention to emotions and internal processes. By examining the theories of Watson and Skinner, one can better understand by classical and operant conditioning by explaining their major themes and evaluating their effectiveness in explaining behavior. Watson’s and Skinner’s Theories Identified John B. Watson is typically...
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...Phobias and Addictions Chantel Billingsley PSY/300 May 30, 2014 Brian Hawkins Abstract This paper provides a broad overview of phobias and addictions. The difference between classical conditioning and how it relates to phobias will be dicussed, as well as operant conditioning and how it develops into addictions. Distinguishing between classical and operant conditioning, will show the differences between the two. I will cover what extinction means and how it is achieved in both types of conditioning. "Phobia" means "morbid fear" in greek (What is Phobia, 2014). Fear is a natural response to a genuine danger. Phobias are the emotional and physical reactions to feared objects or situations; this fear becomes irrational and excessive. Feelings of horror, panic and terror may occur. Reactions become automatic and uncontrollable, taking over a person's thoughts and sometimes causing physical symptoms. These symptoms can include rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling and overwhelming desire to avoid the feared object or situation. There are three major categories of phobias. First category called specific phobias focuses on certain objects, animals, people and situations. Some of the most recognized phobias fall under this category; the fear of heights (acrophobia), the fear of spiders (arachnophobia) and the fear of enclosed spaces(claustrophobia). The second major category is the fear of open spaces (agoraphobia). Most individual...
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...While I understand that all of the items elicited some type of the response, the rabbit seemed to elicited the biggest transfer when compared to the dog, the fur coat, the wool, the researcher’s hair and the Santa mask (Watson & Rayner, 1920). As we know with generalization, similarity is important in order for a strong transfer to occur. Additionally, we learned with the Little Albert experiment that an emotional response can be conditioned using two different senses (auditory and visual) in order to create the fear based response (Watson et al., 1920). So, while varying senses don’t appear to inhibit the ability to condition a fear response, I am curious if varying senses might influence the strength of a transferred stimulus. For example, if a fear response has been conditioned using a toy firetruck that makes a specific sound, and you want to transfer that fear response to a new toy (one that looks similar but makes no noise and then one that looks different but sounds similar), would there would be a difference in response between the two. I’m assuming the answer to this would be tied to how the subject categorizes the stimulus...
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...As Albert Camus said in one of his writings, “The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth of life.” The famous masterpiece of Albert Camus, The Stranger, gives us the true taste of existential philosophy and teaches us about the universality and inevitability of absurd in humans’ lives. However, one can meet very similar concepts and ideas illustrated in another piece of art, which is the movie “I Heart Huckabees” by David O. Russell. This philosophical comedy does, indeed, share many similarities with The Stranger. The four main principles of existentialism similar in the book and the movie are observation, meaning of life, coincidence, and absurd. The best place to start is one of the most important aspects of existentialism and absurd as well as of The Stranger, observation. In The Stranger, we read about the constant observation that is done by the main...
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