What is Little Albert?

Little Albert is a famous case study in psychology that is used to illustrate the principles of classical conditioning. The study was conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920 and is one of the most well-known and influential experiments in the history of psychology. The study focused on the fear response of an 11-month-old boy, Albert, to a white rat. Through a series of classical conditioning trials, Watson and Rayner were able to condition Albert to fear the white rat, as well as a number of other stimuli that were previously neutral to him.

Background of Little Albert

Little Albert was an 11-month-old boy who was used in Watson and Rayner’s experiment. He was chosen because he was healthy and had no known phobias. The experiment was conducted in the laboratory of John B. Watson at Johns Hopkins University.

At the beginning of the experiment, Albert was presented with a white rat. Initially, Albert showed no fear of the rat. However, Watson and Rayner then began to pair the presentation of the rat with a loud noise. Every time the rat was presented, a loud noise was made. After several trials, Albert began to show fear of the rat and other stimuli that had been paired with the loud noise.

The Results of Little Albert

The results of the experiment were that Albert had been conditioned to fear the white rat, as well as other stimuli that had been paired with the loud noise. This demonstrated that classical conditioning could be used to create a fear response in a previously neutral stimulus. The results of the experiment were published in the journal of Psychological Monographs in 1920.

The Legacy of Little Albert

The legacy of Little Albert is that it demonstrated the power of classical conditioning and its ability to create a fear response in a previously neutral stimulus. The experiment has been used as an example of classical conditioning in many psychology textbooks and is one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology.

FAQs

Who conducted the Little Albert experiment?

The Little Albert experiment was conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920 at Johns Hopkins University.

What were the results of the Little Albert experiment?

The results of the experiment were that Albert had been conditioned to fear the white rat, as well as other stimuli that had been paired with the loud noise. This demonstrated that classical conditioning could be used to create a fear response in a previously neutral stimulus.

What is the legacy of the Little Albert experiment?

The legacy of the Little Albert experiment is that it demonstrated the power of classical conditioning and its ability to create a fear response in a previously neutral stimulus. The experiment has been used as an example of classical conditioning in many psychology textbooks and is one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology.