As I am sure you know, classical conditioning was first demonstrated by a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov in the 1890s with his experiment involving dogs. According to the Oxford Dictionary, classical conditioning is a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired, usually a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone. Following in Pavlov's footsteps behaviorist John B. Watson broadened Pavlov's work and tested his theory on an nine-month old infant he called Little Albert.
Watson wanted to bring psychology back to a focus on scientific inquiry. He felt it necessary to focus only on observable behavior. Watson wanted to explore phobias through the process of conditioning. He believed that all behavior was a result of a stimulus-response relationship and he set out to prove it. Watson hypothesized that a child who shows a fearful response to loud noises has an innate unconditioned response. The Little Albert experiment took place in 1920 at John Hopkins University and was demonstrated by Watson himself, and colleague,
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He showed no sign of distress or fear when introduced to either stimuli. Watson then placed albert on a table covered by a mattress. He presented Albert with the white lab rat, allowing him to play with the rat. Watson and Rayner struck a steel bar with a hammer every time Albert reached for the rat. Albert began to cry and showed fear. Albert was eventually only presented with the white rat, he began to cry, he became very distressed and tried to get away. This proved that Albert associated the loud noise with the rat. When shown all the previous stimuli Albert showed the same response he did when presented with the white rat, he became distressed. This proved that phobias could indeed be