Watson & Raynor - Explanations of Dysfunctional Behaviour

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Induce fear response to previously unfeared object through classical conditioning.

Fear transferred?
Effect of time.
Remove fear response?

Question 2

Baseline reactions

Answer 2

No fear response in any situation

Question 3

Session 1

Answer 3

Presented rat and steel bar struck

Question 4

Session 2

Answer 4

7 presentations by end of this session with noise.

After 5 paired presentations in this session Little Albert reacted alone by immediately crying and crawling away.

Question 5

Session 3

Answer 5

Toys introduced, interspersed between presentations, used as a neutral stimulus. This was to calm Albert down. He played happily with blocks but other stimuli produced a negative response.

Question 6

Session 4

Answer 6

Conducted 5 days later, see the effect of time, there was fear response but weaker, freshened fear response to rat, dog and rabbit in well lit theatre. Little Albert still cried and crawled away although fear response less in a different room.

Question 7

Session 5

Answer 7

1 month later. Fear response still present although varied to different degree depending on stimuli. eg. rabbit - Little Albert less frightened and wanted to play, although when he touched fear response was still present to some degree.

Question 8

Session 2 CONC

Answer 8

Can condition fear response through classical conditioning, clear after 5 paired presentation in this session of rat and noise.

Question 9

Session 3 CONC

Answer 9

Transference of fear made to similar objects, although objects less like original stimulus showed less negativity eg. cotton wool.

Question 10

Session 5 CONC

Answer 10

Effect of time had not removed fear response.

Question 11

Removal of response

Answer 11

Not possible as Little Albert taken out of hospital on day of session 5, therefore never able to test aim of trying to find ways of removing a phobia in a lab.

Question 12

Session 1 CONC

Answer 12

Fear response conditioned

Question 13

Session 4 CONC

Answer 13

At the start of session, time had slightly weakened fear response.

Question 14

Validity

Answer 14

• No control group, we cannot be sure that the conditioning caused the fear, for example it could merely have been repeated exposure to a strange animal and subsequent similar items.
• Not afraid of animals before, therefore valid evidence of conditioning of a stimulus.
• No demand characteristics as sample is an infant, demand characteristics are not evident in 11 month year old.
• Tested what it wanted to, although could never test removal of a phobia as Little Hans was removed from the study.

Showed behavioural explanation of learning of phobias to be a valid explanation as indicates controlled, systematic way of inducing a phobia.

Question 15

Ecological validity

Answer 15

• Reintroduces conditioning phase = unrealistic representation of real world phobias as it is unlikely that event happens in exactly the same way as lots of variables and stimuli the could be confused

Question 16

Reliability

Answer 16

• Cannot say reliable as only one single participant, hence not generalisable.
• Controlled study, same experimenters and stimuli.

Question 17

Ethics

Answer 17

Biggest issue for study.

• Little Albert was not protected from harm, this is especially the case because Watson and Rayner did not have the opportunity to decondition Little Albert’s fears.
• There was significant psychological harm, became evident to mother who removed after session 5. This also questions informed consent as the stress and discomfort led the mother to remove Little Albert as the result was unexpected.
• No ethical guidelines at the time.

Question 18

Usefulness

Answer 18

• First example of human conditioning.
• Useful to understand the development of fears, especially irrational fears, why behaviours occur and therefore can be used for treatments.
• Useful to science because its a controlled perspective, looks at cause and effect of conditioned stimulus and response.
• Did not decondition fear as intended as Little Albert was removed after session 5, this would have been useful to see if it was possible to decondition fear.

Question 19

General

Answer 19

This suggests phobias can be learned behaviour through association.

Question 20

Nature/Nurture

Answer 20

NURTURE… Fear can be learned

Nature, observes an association rather than completely new behaviour, fear response is already there.