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Little Albert (1920)

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Kristy69 On September 14, 2014
Carly's Mommy





Underneath the Cyanide Sun....
#1New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:18:50
"John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner carried one of the most influential psychology studies out in 1920. Psychologists and intro psychology students alike know the “Little Albert” study. The reason it is such a landmark study is because Watson was able to show that emotional responses could be conditioned, or learned."
https://www.psychology.sbc.edu/Little%20Albert.htm

"Albert B. was born to a woman who was a wet nurse in the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children. Although raised in the hospital environment, Albert developed normally and was very stable.
When Albert was about eight months old, Watson wanted to determine if a loud sound would cause a fear response in the child.
He was placed in a room and an experimenter stood behind him and made a loud noise by striking a hammer on a steel bar.
The first time this was done, Albert startled and raised his hands up.
The second time, he began to tremble, and on the third time he was crying and having a fit."

At that point, Watson began to introduce a white animal (such as a rabbit) and then make the loud noise. Eventually, Little Albert began to associate white things with loud noises, thus creating a crippling fear of white objects.
Watson also made Albert afraid of tables, blocks and certain rooms.

"Watson concluded that phobias were most likely conditioned responses. He stated that phobias were probably either a fear of the original stimulus or that they had been transferred to other stimuli, as the person grew older. Watson believed, like Freud, that early childhood experiences influenced the adult personality. Watson differed from Freud in that he had behavioral evidence that learned responses in childhood transferred across stimuli and environments, carrying over a period of time, whereas Freud focused more on instincts had no evidence for his theory.
Watson’s work still lives on today. The effects of his research can especially be noticed in contemporary behavior therapy."

So basically, they scared an infant for science. Yayyy
Eaglebauer On July 23, 2019
Moderator
Deleted



Saint Louis, Missouri
#2New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:21:36
@Kristy69 Said

"John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner carried one of the most influential psychology studies out in 1920. Psychologists and intro psychology students alike know the “Little Albert” study. The reason it is such a landmark study is because Watson was able to show that emotional responses could be conditioned, or learned."
https://www.psychology.sbc.edu/Little%20Albert.htm

"Albert B. was born to a woman who was a wet nurse in the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid Children. Although raised in the hospital environment, Albert developed normally and was very stable.
When Albert was about eight months old, Watson wanted to determine if a loud sound would cause a fear response in the child.
He was placed in a room and an experimenter stood behind him and made a loud noise by striking a hammer on a steel bar.
The first time this was done, Albert startled and raised his hands up.
The second time, he began to tremble, and on the third time he was crying and having a fit."

At that point, Watson began to introduce a white animal (such as a rabbit) and then make the loud noise. Eventually, Little Albert began to associate white things with loud noises, thus creating a crippling fear of white objects.
Watson also made Albert afraid of tables, blocks and certain rooms.

"Watson concluded that phobias were most likely conditioned responses. He stated that phobias were probably either a fear of the original stimulus or that they had been transferred to other stimuli, as the person grew older. Watson believed, like Freud, that early childhood experiences influenced the adult personality. Watson differed from Freud in that he had behavioral evidence that learned responses in childhood transferred across stimuli and environments, carrying over a period of time, whereas Freud focused more on instincts had no evidence for his theory.
Watson’s work still lives on today. The effects of his research can especially be noticed in contemporary behavior therapy."

So basically, they scared an infant for science. Yayyy



Holy s***.

Just...

s***.
Demented On January 31, 2024




, Australia
#3New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:25:52
That today would come under the heading of Child Abuse,but I would loved to have done the same thing to Watson,just to see how the bastard reacted
Kristy69 On September 14, 2014
Carly's Mommy





Underneath the Cyanide Sun....
#4New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:30:12
Btw, they never re-conditioned him so he remained mentally unstable his entire life.
Eaglebauer On July 23, 2019
Moderator
Deleted



Saint Louis, Missouri
#5New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:41:05
@Kristy69 Said

Btw, they never re-conditioned him so he remained mentally unstable his entire life.



Yeah that's the first that went through my mind..they didn't just scare a healthy kid..they f***ed up someone's life. No way would this have been publicized if it were done today.
Sparklegirl On December 13, 2019
LL.M





Cumbria, United Kingdom
#6New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:44:26
@Kristy69 Said

Btw, they never re-conditioned him so he remained mentally unstable his entire life.



he died at 6 years old of hydrocephalus
chisa96 On December 29, 2014
Supreme Goddess





Out in Nature, Wisconsin
#7New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 14:46:06
You know, it's kind of weird that it worked that way. You would think that he would get used to the loud noise after a while, especially if presented with things like bunnies at the same time.
vekta On November 18, 2013




,
#8New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 15:07:23
Phobias are much more difficult to break than they are to acquire. Someone can learn to fear something so fast they may not know exactly what they just been through...but they know it was scary.

Yeah that would be unethical today. A lot of studies done in those days would get you a legal beating until you were black, blue and purple.
sTreetAngeL On January 24, 2022
root tedt ree





in a paradox,
#9New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 17:22:09
@chisa96 Said

You know, it's kind of weird that it worked that way. You would think that he would get used to the loud noise after a while, especially if presented with things like bunnies at the same time.



That's what I was thinking too. Especially since they didn't physically hurt him.
treebee On April 13, 2015
Government Hooker

Moderator




London, United Kingdom
#10New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 19:18:41
There was a study (I dont remember its name) where newborn infants to the age of 3 (i think) were given minimal parental contact. Even feeding was done at arms length. The child was then placed down in the cot. I think it was done at an orphanage.

Anyway it was deemed cruel enough to change the way psychology studies were done in future.
chisa96 On December 29, 2014
Supreme Goddess





Out in Nature, Wisconsin
#11New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 19:21:57
@treebee Said

There was a study (I dont remember its name) where newborn infants to the age of 3 (i think) were given minimal parental contact. Even feeding was done at arms length. The child was then placed down in the cot. I think it was done at an orphanage.

Anyway it was deemed cruel enough to change the way psychology studies were done in future.



Did they at least learn anything from it?
treebee On April 13, 2015
Government Hooker

Moderator




London, United Kingdom
#12New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 19:50:28
@chisa96 Said

Did they at least learn anything from it?



yeah, something like, ignored babies grow up and kill people.
chisa96 On December 29, 2014
Supreme Goddess





Out in Nature, Wisconsin
#13New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 20:00:49
@treebee Said

yeah, something like, ignored babies grow up and kill people.



Well, as sad as it is that those babies suffered, that does sound like valuable information. How else would we know who to chain up for our protection?
annski729 On July 24, 2016




, United States (general)
#14New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 20:55:22
Um, there are a lot of studies that are kind of borderline in the ethics department. The classic study with dogs that led to the theory of learned helplessness, Tuskeegee, and the Milgram study are ones that come to my mind most readily.

To conduct a study today you have to follow a lot of ethical procedures. Some are still high risk but institutional review boards require you outline every anticipated risk and what you will do to resolve potential issues for each one.
annski729 On July 24, 2016




, United States (general)
#15New Post! Oct 04, 2011 @ 20:59:25
@chisa96 Said

You know, it's kind of weird that it worked that way. You would think that he would get used to the loud noise after a while, especially if presented with things like bunnies at the same time.



I mean, I guess he could have learned to associate loud noises with happy things like bunnies... My guess is that fear is a bit more important to develop than happy things from an evolutionary standpoint
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