Behaviourist - Main Study

Question 1

Describe the methodology of Watson and Rayner

Answer 1

This was an investigation conducted in a controlled conditions. Despite involving a single participant, known as Little Albert, it is not a case study as this would involve deeper analysis of various aspects of his life. Nor is it an experiment, it is considered a ‘controlled observation’

Albert B, aged 9 months at the start of the study and11 monthswhen the conditioning began. Albert’s mother was a nurse at the hospital and Albert was chosen because he seemed healthy and quite fearless (he“practically never cried”according to Watson).

Albert’s mother was paid $1 for participating. This was anopportunity sample.

Question 2

Describe what came before the first stage of Watson and Rayner

Answer 2

Prior to the stages they conducted an ‘initial emotional test’

Initially a range of objects were used to test Alberts emotional responses, in each instance it was his first time seeing these objects. These objects were: Dog, White Rat, Rabbit, Monkey, Burning Newspaper, Cotton Wool, Fur Coat, Mask (with/without hair) Hammer and Steel Bar.

Findings:

Albert showed no fear response to any of the objects shown before conditioning.

Finally, when the loud noise was played with the steel bar and hammer. Alberts armed raised and lips trembled. On the third time it was struck he broke out crying which was the first time he had produced fear or crying.

Question 3

Describe the 1st / 5 session of Little Albert

Answer 3

This is where the classical conditioning began. Albert returned to the lab when he was 11months and 3 days old. A white rat was presented to him and Albert started to reach for it when they struck the bar behind his head.

Findings:

On the first time it was struck he fell forward and buried head but didn’t cry. On the second time he fell forward again and started whimpering.

Question 4

Describe the 2nd / 5 session of Little Albert

Answer 4

A week later when Albert was aged 11 months and 10 days old he returned again.
He was shown a white rat with no sound / bar strike to test if his previous experience affected his behaviour with the rat, this time he did not reach out for the rat like he did the first time.

Next he was shown the rat and the bar was struck 5 times for joint stimulation.
However, a control variable was introduced being some building blocks, which he played happily with.

After the joint stimulation, Albert became extremely distressed and when shown the rat again he started to cry and crawl away so fast he almost fell off the table.

Question 5

Describe the 3rd / 5 session of Little Albert

Answer 5

At 11 months and 15 days (5 days later) Albert returned for more testing. This time they wanted to find out if the fear created to the rat also applied to similar looking objects.

Albert was presented with furry objects, these were a rat, a rabbit, a dog, a fur coat, cotton wool and Watson’s hair along with the control variable of building blocks.

Findings:

While Albert played happily with the blocks, but when he was shown the rat, he immediately responded with fear showing he retained his conditioned response to the rat.

When he was shown the rabbit, he gave just as extreme reaction as the rat as he started crying and crawled away.

Dog and fur coat scared him but not to the extent of the rat or rabbit. No fear to cotton wool or Watson’s hair.

Question 6

Describe the 4th / 5 session of Little Albert

Answer 6

At 11 months and 20 days old (5 days later again) Albert returned, his conditioned emotional response was freshened up using some joint stimulation of the bar being struck while the rat was present. Before he was freshened up, Albert showed some fear to the rat, rabbit and dog but not as much as before.

After this, he was taken to a ‘new environment’ which was a well-lit lecture room with four people present. He was placed on a table in the centre of the room.

Findings:

While prior to the freshening up his reactions were less extreme to the animals, after the conditioning his reactions were even more extreme.
He continued to play happily with the building blocks which demonstrated he had only fear towards the furry objects.

Question 7

Describe the 5th / final session of Little Albert

Answer 7

At 12 months and 21 days (over a month later) Alberts conditioned was tested for the final time.
Albert had been to the lab during this period between tests but no emotional tests had been conducted.

The final emotional test involved a Santa mask, a fur-coat, a rabbit, the rat and the control variable the blocks.

Findings:

They found Albert responded to the test objects in a clearly different way to the control objects. His reaction was not as extreme as before to the furry objects, but he still clearly avoided them, whimpered and occasionally cried when presented with them.

Question 8

What objects were in Initial Test

Answer 8

Session 1: Dog, Rabbit, White rat, Monkey, mask, fur coat, wool, newspaper and hammer.

Question 9

What objects were in session 3?

Answer 9

Session 3: Dog, Rabbit, White rat, fur coat, wool, Watson’s hair and building blocks.

Question 10

What objects were in session 5?

Answer 10

Session 5: Santa mask, a fur-coat, a rabbit, the rat and the building blocks.

Question 11

What are the evaluative points of Watson and Rayner

Answer 11

Methodology
Strength: Use of Lab experiment
Weakness: Only one participant

Procedures
Strength: Baseline variable
Weakness: Procedures not fully completed

Ethics
Weakness: Lack of valid consent
Weakness: Severe BPS guideline breach

Social Implications:
Strength: Shows how conditioning techniques may be useful for children (Mcalister)
Weakness: Shows how conditioning techniques are NOT useful for children (Lepper)

Question 12

Give a strength of the methodology of Watson and Rayner

Answer 12

P – One positive of the methodology of this research is the degree of control Watson & Raynor had due to the use of a laboratory environment in which the research was conducted (a well-lit dark room). This meant they were able to control extraneous variables and produce more objective research.

E - Examples of factors controlled within this research include the presentation of ‘furry and non-furry objects’ and the location of the research.

E – Having this level of control is positive because it increases the internal validity of the research.

L – Therefore, with such scientific methodology being used, Watson and Raynor’s research has higher scientific status and can be trusted over less scientific methods where results cannot be quantified, such as an open interviews.

Question 13

Give a weakness of the methodology of Watson and Rayner

Answer 13

P – One disadvantage of the methodology of this research is that many would argue the study cannot be properly generalised to the wider population as the study lacks population validity - which puts into question the usefulness of the study.

E - This is because the sample consisted of just one participant – Albert, a calm, even-tempered child.
One of the main reasons he was selected was due to his emotional stability (never cried) and his availability. His mum was an employee at the hospital in which Watson & Raynor worked.

E – The use of only one participant with the characteristics he possessed means it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding whether the findings can be generalised to other children, who perhaps would have a very different behavioural response to Albert.

L – If this is the case, the findings of the study cannot be generalised and thus have limited application to society.

Question 14

Give a strength of the procedure of Watson and Rayner

Answer 14

P – One positive component of the procedure of Watson & Raynor is that the study used baseline measurements in place in order to compare his reactions toward different stimulus.

E - Albert’s ‘pre-manipulation’ behaviour could be judged to establish whether he was a fearful child before the study. The trial where Albert played with the wooden blocks provided a control condition, which showed his fear was exclusively for furry objects.

E – Having a baseline control condition means that the findings are more objective, scientific and can be attributed to the conditioning techniques used by Watson and Raynor rather than extraneous variables.

L – This makes the findings of the research more credible within the scientific community and increases the internal validity.

Question 15

Give a weakness of the procedure of Watson and Rayner

Answer 15

P – One weakness of the procedures of Watson and Rayner is that the procedures were not completed as originally planned.

E – Watson and Raynor intended to counter-condition Little Albert in the final stages of the research. This would involve effectively tackling Albert’s maladaptive learning (fear of fury objects, etc.) and replacing it with a more functional, adaptive learning.

E – However, Little Albert was removed from the research by his Mother before this important stage was completed, thus he left with a series of specific phobias.

L – Therefore, this raises some serious ethical issues with regard to the procedures of the study.

Question 16

Give one ethical issue of Watson and Rayner in relation to valid consent

Answer 16

P – There may have been issues regarding valid consent.

E – Little Albert was the son of a low-paid hospital worker employed at the hospital where Watson and Raynor worked.

E – It is unclear whether valid consent was obtained from Albert’s mum. Consent is only valid when an individual understands what will and could happen in a study. Critics suggest the power difference between the researchers (prominent doctors at the hospital) and Albert’s mum (low-paid worker) meant it would have been difficult for her to refuse.

L – If this was the case, Watson and Raynor did not obtain valid consent in the spirit it was intended and the fact that Albert’s mum eventually removed him from the research supports this.

Question 17

Give one issue of Ethics in Watson and Rayner in relation to risk of stress anxiety, humiliation or pain

Answer 17

P – One key ethical issue present in this research is risk of stress, anxiety, humiliation or pain.

E - It was clear to see that Little Albert was very distressed throughout the procedures. From an ethical perspective, Watson and Raynor should have suspended the research process and not continued through the different stages that lasted a number of months.

E – Little Albert initially just ‘cried’; however, as the stages progressed, Little Albert’s personality changed and he became quite an anxious and grumbly young child as a result of his participation in this research.

L – In order to be ethical, the research should have been cancelled when the negative effects became clear, and Watson and Raynor should have counter-conditioned Little Albert at that point rather than allowing him to leave the research with an altered psychological and emotional state.

Question 18

Give one good social implication that has come from the reseach of Watson and Rayner

Answer 18

P – The results of this research suggests that children’s behaviour can be ‘conditioned’ and this has important implications in the field of education.

E - Conditioning techniques can be used in education to positively shape young people’s behaviour and maximise their learning and results.

E – McAllister et al found that increased use of ‘teacher praise’ and ‘teacher disapproval’ led to a decrease in the incidence of ‘inappropriate talking’ in class (compared to a control condition where there was no decrease).

L – The use of conditioning techniques on children within schools can therefore maximise educational achievement and teach children the skills required to succeed in society and ensure generations of children are prepared for the workforce. Showing the positive implications of showing conditioning techniques on human behaviour

Question 19

Give one negative social implication that has come from the reseach of Watson and Rayner

Answer 19

P – Using conditioning techniques on schoolchildren does not always yield positive implications for society.

E - Conditioning techniques in education can have a negative effect on children. For example, some argue that the notion of rewards/punishments is harmful to a child’s internal motivation to learn.
Lepper et al supports this criticism; finding that nursery children who were asked to draw a nice picture in turn for a guaranteed reward dedicated just half the time to their drawing than children who had not been promised a reward.

E – This means that society would be at risk of creating generations with no intrinsic motivation, who are reliant on receiving rewards in order to complete a task.

L – Society requires individuals who are self-motivated, as beyond childhood, rewards are not as readily available and as such conditioning children in this way has long-term negative effects.