Discuss one ethical issue of Watson and rayner

• Point

  One major ethical issue in Watson and rayner’s (1920) study was the psychological harm inflicted on Little Albert
• Evidence

  The study delicately created fear in a young child by repeatedly exposing him to distressing stimuli, such as loud noises paired with a white rat, to condition a fearful response. This caused clear distress, as seen when Albert started sucking his thumb to calm down - a behaviour the researchers actively prevented to ensure conditioning took effect
• Explain

  This raises concerns about whether Albert experienced more distress than he would in everyday life, violating modern ethical guidelines. Furthermore, Watson and rayner failed to decondition Albert before he was removed from the hospital, meaning the fear response may have persisted indefinitely
• Link

  This demonstrates a lack of concern for the child’s well-being, highlights serious ethical shortcomings in the study