Alright, guys, so today I decided to dive into “John B. Watson AP Psychology.” I’ve always been kinda fascinated by the whole behaviorism thing, and Watson is like, the father of it, you know?
Getting Started
First, I grabbed my AP Psychology textbook. It’s a bit beat up, but it gets the job done. I flipped to the chapter on learning and found the section on classical conditioning. Watson’s all about that, especially with his famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Little Albert experiment.
Diving into Little Albert
Okay, so, the Little Albert experiment. Basically, Watson and his assistant, Rosalie Rayner, wanted to see if they could make a baby scared of something he wasn’t initially afraid of. They picked a fluffy white rat, which Albert was totally chill with at first. Then, they started pairing the rat with a loud, scary noise – banging a steel bar with a hammer. Yikes!
- Show Albert the rat: No fear.
- Bang the steel bar: Albert cries.
- Show the rat AND bang the steel bar: Albert cries.
- Repeat, repeat, repeat.
- Show Albert the rat (no noise): Albert cries!
My thoughts proccess
So, yeah, they basically conditioned poor Little Albert to be terrified of the rat. And not just the rat – he started getting freaked out by other furry things, too, like a rabbit and even a Santa Claus mask! It’s called generalization, and it’s a big part of classical conditioning.
I spent a good hour just reading and rereading about this experiment. I jotted down some notes in my notebook, trying to really understand the steps and the reasoning behind it.
Looking in details
Then I wanted to know more,I looked for some videos online, maybe a documentary or something, that showed the experiment. It’s one thing to read about it, but seeing it is a whole different level, I needed to be ready for my AP Psychology.
Wrapping Up
Honestly, the whole thing is pretty messed up, ethically speaking. I mean, they deliberately made a baby scared of things! But it’s also super important in the history of psychology because it showed how powerful classical conditioning can be. It really made me think about how our own fears and anxieties might develop.
My main takeaway? Watson was a groundbreaking (and controversial) figure, and the Little Albert experiment, while ethically questionable, is a key part of understanding behaviorism and classical conditioning. I’m glad I spent the time digging into it!
