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Why Is The Little Albert Study Unethical

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The Little Albert experiment, conducted by psychologist John B. Watson and his graduate student Rosalie Rayner in 1920, is widely regarded as unethical by today's ethical standards. In the experiment, an 11-month-old infant named Albert was exposed to various stimuli, including a white rat, and loud noises were produced to elicit fear responses. The aim of the study was to demonstrate the conditioning of fear in a young child.

There are several reasons why the Little Albert experiment is considered unethical:

Lack of informed consent: Little Albert's mother was not fully informed about the nature of the experiment, nor was she made aware of the potential risks and discomforts that her child might experience. Informed consent is a fundamental …show more content…

Inflicting such distress on a young child without sufficient consideration for their well-being is highly unethical.

Lack of debriefing: After the experiment, Little Albert was never desensitized or reassured that the conditioned fears could be overcome. This lack of debriefing is a violation of ethical guidelines, as participants should be provided with support and an opportunity to restore their emotional state after participating in a study.

Ethical standards at the time: Even by the ethical standards of the time, the Little Albert experiment was controversial. However, it is important to note that ethical standards and understanding of research ethics have evolved significantly since the experiment was conducted.

In summary, the Little Albert experiment violated key principles of research ethics, including informed consent, minimizing harm to participants, and providing debriefing. It is now considered highly unethical due to the potential harm inflicted on an infant and the lack of respect for the participant's well-being.

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This debriefing helps participants understand the true purpose of the study, addresses any concerns or discomfort they may have experienced, and provides support if necessary. In the Little Albert experiment, there was no debriefing session conducted for Albert or his mother. Failing to provide a debriefing session denies the participant an opportunity to understand the study's goals and potentially restore their emotional state, further compounding the ethical concerns surrounding the

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