TORREON, Johanna Marie T.

3rd Year – AB Psychology

PEPC 006 – Prelim Activity 1

1. Enumerate at least three problems with the Little Albert Experiment.

- While watching the Little Albert Experiment, my face was befuddled in shape
as I have noticed some problems during the duration of the video. One
problem was the disturbance or the noise of the unconditioned stimulus—
steel bar and a hammer—that was caused in order to condition the response
of little Albert with the white rat. Another problem was the unforeseen risks
and consequences of the experiment that could lead to a traumatized
perception of little Albert during childhood especially when hearing loud
noises. Lastly, the biggest and most problematic that I had observed was the
unconsented experiment with little Albert’s mother. It was provided that Mr.
John B. Watson only borrowed the child without having the mother’s proper
approval about the conducted experiment.

2. Give a two-to-three sentence reaction to the quote from John Watson regarding
their (Watson and Rayner’s) treatment of Little Albert (Little Albert Experiment
video – beginning at the 8:37 mark).
- In my viewpoint, John Watson's comment suggests that the experiment will
be highly careless and dangerous for the child since Mr. Watson predicts
mistakenly that little Albert would still have these fear attachments whether or
not the experiment is done. The researchers (Watson and Rayner) believed
they made a wise decision in trying to exploit a toddler for their personal
satisfaction or for the sake of the experiment, but in reality, they were blind to
the long-term effects on the child.

3. What is your opinion regarding the claim that Little Albert was conditioned to fear
a white rat and other animals/objects presented by Watson and Rayner based on
the film footage itself? (one to two short sentences).
- For me, I am aware that the experiment's primary goal was to temporarily
instruct fear using a hammer and steel as the stimulus. But as I watched and
scrutinized the film, I realized it was more than that. Little Albert has been
trained to be afraid of anything that corresponds with a hammer or steel or
that bangs loudly enough to frighten him. As he developed into a child, it had
an impact on his mental and psychological well-being. Little Albert tragically
passed away at the age of six, and I continue to wonder what he may have
been had the experiment been carried out successfully.