Little
Emotional Albert
The researcher that performed this study was Watson. Watson’s hypothesis was if you create an unexpected noise and connect it with an animal, like a rat, that infant will fear that animal. Watson wanted to perform this study because he wanted to see if he can make a perfectly normal infant that was not afraid of the animals to start with and cause the infant to fear them with a loud noise that was created when showing the animals. Another reason why he wanted to perform this study is because he believed that he was able to train any infant to whatever career he wanted. His hypothesis is that the infant will end up fearing the rats due to the loud noise he used each time the rat was brought to little Albert.
This study was a case study. The type of data that was being collected were the animals that were given to Little Albert and what type of reaction he conducted. They collected the data with the animal without any sounds. After that, they collected the data of Albert’s reaction with the noise and the animal. The unconditioned stimulus was when Little Albert showed fear when they brought the animals to him and then creating a loud noise behind his head. The unconditioned response was when little Albert started to cry just at the site of the animals without the researchers creating the loud noise behind his head. The conditioned response is starts to cry when they bring him the animals. The conditioned stimulus is the site of the animals.
Watson’s case study was about this little infant named Douglas Merritte, also known as Little Albert. Douglas was being studied by Watson to see if fears can be created. Watson strongly believed in his theory. Watson once said, “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, and my own special world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take one at random and train him to become any type of specialist. I might select doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief, and yes beggar man and thief” (1920,Pg. 72-73). So Watson conducted a case study on Albert, a nine month old infant that was living in a hospital. They waited until Albert was 11 months old to conduct the case study. Once he was at that age they gave Albert different animals and items to see the infant’s initial reaction. Albert showed no fear during these initial trials to any of the animals and items that were shown to him. After they recorded and observed Albert’s reaction they move on with the study to see if they could create fear. Again, Watson showed the same exact animals and items but this time, as they gave Albert the animal or items they would hit a piece of metal pipe with a hammer behind him. By doing so Albert started to cry from the unexpected loud noise as he reached for the animal or items. They did this several times throughout the study. Eventually, they did not have to hit the metal pipe with a hammer behind Albert because Albert was scared of these animals and items. Albert was able to connect the loud noise and the animals and items and reacted with fear now. Before Watson and the others were able to try and rehabilitate Albert from his fears that they created, he already adapted to them. Once they were able to track him down, they found out that he had passed away from hydrocephalus at the age of six; therefore, they could not do anything for Albert.
Watson’s case study can be very important in today’s society. It can be important because Watson was able to create fear for Albert at an early stage of life. So if you somehow reverse the effect and not create fear, you could take away their fear. An example would be if someone had a fear of heights, you could do a similar case study and teach them or give the positive reinforcement to conquer their fear of heights. So you could either create fear in someone or you could eliminate fear.
The connection to this case study of little Albert, which was performed by Watson, to the special edition for Delta psychology book is that someone did a follow up on this study. Marry Cover was a student of Watson and decided to repeat his case study with little Peter. Little Peter had the same reaction to little Albert and wasn’t scared of the animals at first but then was after the loud noise. Marry wanted to counter that fear so she put the white rabbit away from Peter having the rabbit eating. Eventually she started to bring it closer and closer; overall, with this result Peter was no longer afraid. Little Albert was no longer scared of the animals because they started to show little Albert the animals at a far distance showing him they are not going to harm him. They eventually they brought the animals closer and closer to him. Eventually little Albert was able to though the animals without showing any fear toward them.
I can use the information I learned from this case study from Watson and Covet. I learned if someone is afraid of something, it probably has to do with something in their past that triggered that fear. My buddy is scared of heights so I can somewhat help him out concurring his fears by using this case study. I can gradually help him by having him go up different level of heights until he is somewhat comfortable with heights.
Work Cited
Roger Hock (2013). Forty Studies That Changed Psychology Explorations into the History of Psychological Research. NJ: Pearson Education
Saundra K, Ciccarelli J, Noland White (2014). Psychology: Special Edition for Delta Psychology. NJ: Prentice Hall.
The researcher that performed this study was Watson. Watson’s hypothesis was if you create an unexpected noise and connect it with an animal, like a rat, that infant will fear that animal. Watson wanted to perform this study because he wanted to see if he can make a perfectly normal infant that was not afraid of the animals to start with and cause the infant to fear them with a loud noise that was created when showing the animals. Another reason why he wanted to perform this study is because he believed that he was able to train any infant to whatever career he wanted. His hypothesis is that the infant will end up fearing the rats due to the loud noise he used each time the rat was brought to little Albert.
This study was a case study. The type of data that was being collected were the animals that were given to Little Albert and what type of reaction he conducted. They collected the data with the animal without any sounds. After that, they collected the data of Albert’s reaction with the noise and the animal. The unconditioned stimulus was when Little Albert showed fear when they brought the animals to him and then creating a loud noise behind his head. The unconditioned response was when little Albert started to cry just at the site of the animals without the researchers creating the loud noise behind his head. The conditioned response is starts to cry when they bring him the animals. The conditioned stimulus is the site of the animals.
Watson’s case study was about this little infant named Douglas Merritte, also known as Little Albert. Douglas was being studied by Watson to see if fears can be created. Watson strongly believed in his theory. Watson once said, “Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, and my own special world to bring them up in, and I’ll guarantee to take one at random and train him to become any type of specialist. I might select doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant chief, and yes beggar man and thief” (1920,Pg. 72-73). So Watson conducted a case study on Albert, a nine month old infant that was living in a hospital. They waited until Albert was 11 months old to conduct the case study. Once he was at that age they gave Albert different animals and items to see the infant’s initial reaction. Albert showed no fear during these initial trials to any of the animals and items that were shown to him. After they recorded and observed Albert’s reaction they move on with the study to see if they could create fear. Again, Watson showed the same exact animals and items but this time, as they gave Albert the animal or items they would hit a piece of metal pipe with a hammer behind him. By doing so Albert started to cry from the unexpected loud noise as he reached for the animal or items. They did this several times throughout the study. Eventually, they did not have to hit the metal pipe with a hammer behind Albert because Albert was scared of these animals and items. Albert was able to connect the loud noise and the animals and items and reacted with fear now. Before Watson and the others were able to try and rehabilitate Albert from his fears that they created, he already adapted to them. Once they were able to track him down, they found out that he had passed away from hydrocephalus at the age of six; therefore, they could not do anything for Albert.
Watson’s case study can be very important in today’s society. It can be important because Watson was able to create fear for Albert at an early stage of life. So if you somehow reverse the effect and not create fear, you could take away their fear. An example would be if someone had a fear of heights, you could do a similar case study and teach them or give the positive reinforcement to conquer their fear of heights. So you could either create fear in someone or you could eliminate fear.
The connection to this case study of little Albert, which was performed by Watson, to the special edition for Delta psychology book is that someone did a follow up on this study. Marry Cover was a student of Watson and decided to repeat his case study with little Peter. Little Peter had the same reaction to little Albert and wasn’t scared of the animals at first but then was after the loud noise. Marry wanted to counter that fear so she put the white rabbit away from Peter having the rabbit eating. Eventually she started to bring it closer and closer; overall, with this result Peter was no longer afraid. Little Albert was no longer scared of the animals because they started to show little Albert the animals at a far distance showing him they are not going to harm him. They eventually they brought the animals closer and closer to him. Eventually little Albert was able to though the animals without showing any fear toward them.
I can use the information I learned from this case study from Watson and Covet. I learned if someone is afraid of something, it probably has to do with something in their past that triggered that fear. My buddy is scared of heights so I can somewhat help him out concurring his fears by using this case study. I can gradually help him by having him go up different level of heights until he is somewhat comfortable with heights.
Work Cited
Roger Hock (2013). Forty Studies That Changed Psychology Explorations into the History of Psychological Research. NJ: Pearson Education
Saundra K, Ciccarelli J, Noland White (2014). Psychology: Special Edition for Delta Psychology. NJ: Prentice Hall.