Behaviorist classical study - Watson & Rayner - Describe F&c

Question 1

F: emotional tests- did A show any fear response when first shown the objects?

Answer 1

no

Question 2

F: emotional tests- how did A react to the loud noise for the first time?

Answer 2

started violently, breathing was checked and arms were raised (defensive position)

Question 3

F: S1- how did A react when the rat and loud noise were presented together for the first time and second time?

Answer 3

• 1st = jumped, fell forward, burying his head on the table, didn’t cry
• 2nd = fell forward again, whimpering a little

Question 4

F: S2- how did he react to the rat w no noise?

Answer 4

• this time he didn’t reach for the rat, just stared at it when placed near, reached out carefully toward it
• withdrew hand when rat started to nuzzle it

Question 5

F: S2- how did he react when given blocks to play with?

Answer 5

happily played with them

Question 6

F: S2 - what was his reaction after the joint stimulation?

Answer 6

became more distressed. When he was again shown the rat, behan to cry and crawl away rapidly

Question 7

F: S3- how did A respond to these objects?

Answer 7

• Rabbit = burst into tears & crawled away
• Neither the dog or the fur coat produced such a violent reaction as the rabbit
• Wool = not touching at first, then later being less cautious
• Watson’s hair = no fear

Question 8

F: S4 - How did A respond to the rat, dog , rabbit?

Answer 8

• less extreme reaction than b4

- after ‘freshening up’ the conditioned fear response was stronger

Question 9

F: S5- were A’s responses to the furry objects (test objects) similar or diff to the blocks (cntrl objects)?

Answer 9

• A reacted to the test objects in a clearly diff way than to the blocks

Question 10

C - W&R concluded how many ‘joint stimulations’ were needed to create a conditioned emotional response?

Answer 10

2

Question 11

C - W&R concluded how many ‘joint stimulations’ were needed to create a complete reaction?

Answer 11

7

Question 12

C -what did this study demonstrate?

Answer 12

such learned (conditioned) responses generalise to similar stimuli

Question 13

C - W&R suspected the persistence of such conditioned responses would only be found in?

Answer 13

persons who are ‘constitutionally inferior’

Question 14

C - they also suggested A’s thumb sucking might have been what?

Answer 14

a form of compensation to block fear

Question 15

C - which other views in psy do these conflict w?

Answer 15

• memories being pushed down into the UCM as they could acc be conditioned.

Question 16

F: summary - emotional tests?

Answer 16

• No fear - L.A was a calm & even tempered baby

- Started violently, arms raised, started to cry

Question 17

F: summary - S1?

Answer 17

• A jumped and fell forward

- Fell forward & began to whimper

Question 18

F: summary - S2?

Answer 18

• stared, reached carefully, withdrew when nuzzled
• played happily w control
• more distressed each time. Cried quickly and crawled away

Question 19

F: summary - S3?

Answer 19

• Rat = fear
• Rabbit = feat = crawled away (generalisation of fear)
• Dog & fur coat = less extreme fear
• JW hair = negative reaction
• Cotton wool = some fear

Question 20

F: summary - S4?

Answer 20

• less extreme fear than B4 to the rat, rabbit, dog - still shows a learned response as no fear shown to wooden blocks
• After the CR was ‘freshened up’, fear response was stronger

Question 21

F: summary - S5?

Answer 21

• Furry objects = fear response although ‘a certain loss in intensity if the reaction’
• Wooden blocks = no fear

Question 22

C: summary?

Answer 22

• W&R concluded that phobias in adults cannot be traced back to the UCM as Freud argued. Instead it is likely that most phobias are conditioned emotional reactions. Just 2 ‘joint stimulations’ can create a CR
• this study demonstrated that learned responses do transfer (generalise) to other objects. A maintained a fearful response to many furry objects over a period of time
• It is however suspected that the persistence of such CR’s would only be found in ppl who are ‘constitutionally inferior’ (ppl who are not very robust)