JohnP.

15/15

LittleEmotionalAlbert

1.Describethetheoreticalpropositionfortheexperiment.

ThetheoreticalpropositionforWatsonstheorywasthatyoucanbe
conditionedtopairacertainemotionwithanobject.LikePavlovsdogpaired
hungerwiththesoundofabell,becauseheconditionedthemtopairthebell
ringingwithmeatwhichmadethemhungryeverytimetheyheardthebell
ringing.AlsolikeintheLittleEmotionalAlbertexperimentwherefearispaired
withanythingsimilartothewhiterat.Withintheexperimentsthesubjectis
usuallyisolatedtowhatisbeingusedtotestthem.Showinghowthoseobjects
connecttotheemotionsofthesubject.Thus,Watsonhadstatedwearenot
bornwithfear,buttheyarelearned.

2.WhatwereWatson'sgoalsforthisexperiment?

Watsonsgoalforthisexperimentwastofindifallhumanbehaviorsstemfrom
thehumanunconscious.WantingtoprovetheFreudianconceptwrong.
Watsonbelievedthereasonyoureacttothingsinacertainwayisdueto
conditioning.
youmissedthepartaboutprovingthatallbehaviorwaslearnedor
conditioned.

3.Brieflysummarizetheexperimentandresults,include(a)identificationof
theUCS>UCR,CS>CR.(b)whathappenedafter31days.

TheLittleAlbertexperimentwasacontrolledexperimentshowingempirical
evidenceofclassicalconditioninginhumansandoperantconditioningin
humans.Thestudyalsoprovidesanexampleofstimulusgeneralization.
LittleAlbertexperiment:UCS-loudnoise,UCR-fear,CS-whiterat,CR-fear.
TheexperimentstartedwithshowinglittleAlbertthingshelikedandlater
showingthemagainbutatthesametimewithaloudnoisewhichmadehim
scared.Inturneverytimehesawtheitemareanimalheusedtolikehewould
becomeafraid.Then31daysaftertheexperimentlittleAlbertstillshowedfear
whenpresentedwiththeobjects.
yougetit

scrolldown...

4.Accordingtothearticle,howcanconditioningaffectemotions?

Conditioningcanaffecttheemotionsbybeingusedtocreateaphobia.A
phobiaisanirrationalfear,afearthatisoutofproportiontothedanger.Over
thenextfewweeksandmonthsLittleAlbertwasobservedand10daysafter
conditioninghisfearoftheratwasmuchlessmarked.Thisdyingoutofa
learnedresponseiscalledextinction.However,evenafterafullmonthitwas
stillevident,andtheassociationcouldberenewedbyrepeatingtheoriginal
procedureafewtimes.

5.Describetwowayshowextinctioncouldoccuraccordingtothearticle.

Twowaysforextinctiontohappenisifthebehaviorisnotreinforced,andlost
becauseofotherexperiencesorthroughthepassageoftime.