How Psychologists Made a Baby Fear Fur

The Little Albert experiment (1920) demonstrated classical conditioning in a human infant. Researchers Watson and Rayner conditioned 9-month-old Albert to fear a white rat by pairing it with a loud, frightening noise. The fear then generalized to other furry objects. The study is a landmark in psychology but is now universally condemned as profoundly unethical. The child's distress was intentionally induced, and he was never deconditioned, leaving his long-term fate unknown.

🔬 Experiment Facts:

Year: 1920 | Researchers: John B. Watson & Rosalie Rayner

Subject: "Little Albert," a healthy 9-month-old infant.

Method: Paired a neutral stimulus (white rat) with an unconditioned stimulus (loud steel bar noise).

Result: Albert developed a conditioned fear of the rat and other furry objects (generalization).

Legacy: Landmark study in behaviorism, but a quintessential example of unethical research.

Видео How Psychologists Made a Baby Fear Fur канала The Curio Verse