"Little Albert"

  

    In 1920 a physiologist by the name of John B. Watson wanted to know more about the idea of ‘classical conditioning ‘. His experiment began with a nine-month-old baby soon to be known as ‘Little Albert’. Before the case study Albert hadn’t feared anything that Watson had given him to play with. This included a white rat, a mask, a monkey and many more things like this group. As the experiment went on when Watson brought the objects and animals back out again for Albert to play with he would make a loud banging noise when he reached for it therefore frightening the little child. Thus, just at the mere sight of something even similarly close to white and fuzzy Albert would instantly cry and try to get away. Watson had conditioned a nine-month-old to fear things white and fuzzy a phobia he would have to live with for the rest of his life.

    ‘Little Albert’ is what we might consider the first unethical case study in history. Today that experiment wouldn’t fit the rules and regulations to be conducted. It was unethical for Watson to take a baby and condition him to fear these things. Rules and regulations have been set since then to make sure every study in the lab or field is fair and ethical.

  The psychologist must obtain informed consent, protect the participants from harm, maintain confidentially and debrief them at the end of the experiment. “Little Albert’ failed these rules and regulations. As a baby, he couldn’t consent them and he didn’t keep his confidentially he emotionally harmed the poor baby and left a lifelong phobia. Although one of the most famous examples of classical conditioning and how it works ‘Little Albert’ was unethical and that was a major flaw in the experiment. Could there be more "Little Albert's" out there?

Hambrick, David "Learning" Psychology 101. Wells Hall, East Lansing. October 31,2016. Lecture.

C.C