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Little Albert Study

Definition

The Little Albert Study was a famous experiment conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner, demonstrating classical conditioning in humans. They conditioned a baby, known as 'Little Albert,' to fear a white rat by pairing it with a loud noise.

Analogy

Imagine if every time you saw your favorite food (like pizza), someone made an extremely loud, scary noise. Over time, you might start to feel scared or anxious just at the sight of pizza - even without the noise. That's what happened to Little Albert with the white rat.

Theoretical Perspectives

The Little Albert study is grounded in behaviorism, demonstrating the acquisition of a phobia through classical conditioning—a process where an initially neutral stimulus becomes associated with fear.

Study And Research Findings

Study and Research Findings

Related terms

Phobia: An extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.

Generalization: In psychology, generalization is the process where the conditioned response is observed even though the conditioned stimulus is slightly different from the original one used during learning.

Desensitization: A process involving repeated exposure to a feared object or context without any danger in order to reduce fear.