There have been several classic experiments to study and describe classical cond

Question

There have been several classic experiments to study and describe classical conditioning; one of the more famous is the Little Albert experiment. Over the years, the experiment has lost some of its validity due to numerous interpretations by several introductory psychology textbooks. It is, therefore, beneficial to go back to the original (or primary) source and read what the authors of the experiment themselves had to say.

Copy and paste the following line in the South University Online Library Quick Search line: "conditioned emotional reactions" (in quotation marks).

The original article by Watson and Rayner was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 1920. There is a reprint of the original article which can be found in the South University Online Library. Here is the reference for the article reprint: Watson, J. B., & Rayner, R. (2000). Conditioned Emotional Reactions. American Psychologist, 55(3), 313-317. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.3.313

Help finding article in Library

Read the article and answer the following questions:

In the study, what are unconditioned stimulus (US), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR)?

Explain the concept of generalization in regards to Watson and Rayner's ability to condition Albert to react to different stimuli such as masks, other animals, and a fur coat?

Using examples from the study, explain the concept of extinction.

Explanation / Answer

Little Albert a 9-month-old infant was tested on his reactions to various stimuli. A white rat, a rabbit, a monkey and various masks were shown to him. Albert termed as "on the whole stolid and unemotional" showed no fear of any of these stimuli. But he was afraid if a hammer was struck against a steel bar behind his head. Due to this sudden loud noise he was crying.

When Little Albert was 11 months old, the white rat was presented, and seconds later the hammer was struck against the steel bar. It was repeated seven times over the next seven weeks, and every time Little Albert burst into tears. By now little Albert only had to see the rat and he immediately showed every sign of fear. He would cry whether or not the hammer was hit against the steel bar and he would attempt to crawl away.

In this experiment

Watson and Rayner found that Albert developed phobias of objects which shared characteristics with the rat; including the family dog, a fur coat, some cotton wool and a Father Christmas mask also, this process is recognized as generalization.

Watson and Rayner revealed that classical conditioning could be used to create a phobia. A phobia is an irrational fear, i.e., a fear that is out of proportion to the danger. Over the next few weeks and months, Little Albert was observed and ten days after conditioning his fear of the rat was much less marked. This dying out of a learned response is called extinction.

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