Describe conclusions of Watson and Rayner

• Point

  Watson and Rayner’s (1920) study concluded that fear responses can be easily conditioned in humans
• Evidence

  They demonstrated that just 2 joint stimulations were enough to create a conditioned emotional response in Little Albert, and after 7, the fear response was fully established. For example, Albert not only became of the white rat used in conditioning but also generalised this fear to other furry objects, showing that learned responses can extend beyond the original stimulus.
• Explain

  This supports the idea that phobias can be acquired through classical conditioning rather than being solely based on Freudian theories. Watson and rayner even critiqued Freud’s view by suggesting that behaviours such as thumb-sucking when afraid might serve as a way to block fear rather than being motivated by pleasure
• Link

  Therefore, their research highlights the role of learned experiences in emotional responses and challenges psychoanalytic explanations of phobias