Watson took Pavlov’s research a step further by showing that emotional reactions could be classically conditioned in people.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
What Happened in the Little Albert Experiment?
The experiment’s participant was a child that Watson and Rayner called “Albert B.”
Verywell / Jessica Olah
but is known popularly today as Little Albert.
At the experiment’s outset, the little boy showed no fear of any objects he was shown.
What Watson did next changed everything.
Naturally, the child began to cry after hearing the loud noise.
Soon, Albert began to cry simply after seeing the rat.
Watson and Rayner wrote: “The instant the rat was shown, the baby began to cry.
It’s a textbook example of how classical conditioning works.
In some cases, these frightening experiences can cause a lasting fears, such as withphobias.
Stimulus generalizationhappens when things similar to the conditioned stimulus evoke a similar response.
His fear included other furry objects, including Raynor’s fur coat and Watson wearing a Santa Claus beard.
First, the experimental design and process were not carefully constructed.
The experiment also raises many ethical concerns.
Little Albert was harmed during this experimenthe left the experiment with a previously nonexistent fear.
By today’s standards, the Little Albert experiment would not be permitted.
What Happened to Little Albert?
The question of what happened to Little Albert has long been one of psychology’s mysteries.
Before Watson and Rayner could attempt to “cure” Little Albert, he and his mother moved away.
Some envisioned the boy growing into a man with a strange phobia of white, furry objects.
In 2009, researchers published the results of their attempt to track down the boy’s identity.
While his first name was William, he was known his entire life by his middle nameAlbert.
The experiments contributed to our understanding of the classical conditioning process.
