Little Albert

• Albert showed no unusual anxiety at the start of the study
• When shown a white rat he tried to play with it
• However the experimenters then set out to give Albert a phobia
• Whenever the rat was presented to Albert the researchers made a loud, frightening noise by banging an iron bar close to alberts ear
• This noise was an UCS which creates an Unconditioned response of fear
• When the rat (NS) and the UCS are encountered close together in time the NS becomes associated with the UCS and both now produce the fear response- Albert displayed fear when he saw the rat
• The rat is now a conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response
• This conditioning was generalised go similar objects
• They tested Albert but showing other furry objects such as a non- white rabbit, a fur coat and Watson wearing a santa beard to which Albert displayed fear to all of these