This study is crucial for shedding light on this unethical experiment. Because so many people are suffering from the trauma and physical and mental harm caused by these experiments, and because not many people are aware that this has happened or is still happening in numerous experiments today. It is crucial to understand and learn about them.
The Little Albert Experiment is just one of many unethical experiments that have been conducted in the past. This study aimed to determine whether fear could be classically conditioned in humans. A baby named Albert, whose real name was Douglas Merritte, was used as the test subject for this experiment. They continually frightened him with a loud noise paired with white rats. When the experimenters placed
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From that, he learned about the generalization of classical conditioning, which was that fear could be broadened to more than one thing or subject just by association. For example, since they conditioned Little Albert to have a fear of the white rats in the laboratory, he developed a fear of anything that seemed to be similar. They tested him on five things: a white dog, a white rabbit, a fur coat, cotton wool, and a Father Christmas mask. Even though these three things were never paired with the loud noise; they all cause the same conditioned response as the white rats. This was what they found out through generalization. Other than generalization, they also discovered that if classical conditioning is not reinforced, it can slowly fade away. It does not matter if it was very strong at some point. This was what they called …show more content…
This experiment was based on the response of a single subject. Some individuals may not respond identically, but it is possible to be classically conditioned. The experiment was conducted using behaviorist principles based on empiricism and observational testing. This approach to psychology was a direct response to earlier psychoanalytic approaches that emphasized self-reflection and personal interpretation. The association of a particular stimulus or behavior with an unrelated stimulus or behavior works in humans.
How ethical was the experiment in its time and would still be considered ethical today? Why or why not?
The Little Albert Experiment was conducted in 1920. During this time, research was frequently conducted without regard for the participants. There were no rules to follow during that time period. As a result of these experiments, ethical guidelines have been developed. With the current ethical standards in place, the Little Albert experiment is deemed unethical. The reason for this is that the subject should always be protected during experiments. Their mental and physical well-being comes first. The Little Albert experiment did the exact opposite. They exploited Albert for their own personal gain.
If you were the experimenter, what would you do differently when conducting this