Little Albert

Little Albert was a famous experiment conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920 to demonstrate classical conditioning, a learning process where behaviors are acquired through associations. In the study, a baby named Albert was exposed to a white rat, which he initially showed no fear toward. However, Watson and Rayner paired the sight of the rat with loud, frightening noises. Eventually, Albert developed a fear of the rat, and this fear generalized to other similar stimuli, such as furry animals. The experiment raised ethical concerns but significantly contributed to understanding behavior and emotional responses.