Conditioned emotional reactions

JOHN

WATSON

AND

ROSALIE

RAYNER

In recent literature vnriolrs speci~latio~~s ]lave cotton ~vool, burning nrwspxpers, etc.

been entered into concerning the possibility permanent record of .Albert's ~.e:~ctions to these

of conditioning various types ot' emotiollal objects and siti~acions has been preserved in a

response, but direct esperi~nenul et.idence n~otiop~picture study. hlanipulation was the

SLIPPOI-t

of such

view has been lacking. If nlost'~1sua1 reaction called out.

.il

!to lirrte tiid

the theory advanced by IVatson and hiorgan

llris

injbnl

ever

s/iow

fear

in an!.

sifcinliorl.

These

(1917)

to the effect that in infrlncy the original esperimental records were confirmed by the

e~~~otional reaction patterns are few, consisting casual observations of the mother and hospital

so far as observed of fear, rage and lore, then attendants. No one had ever seen him in a

there must be some simple method by means of state of fear and rage. The infant practically

which the range of stimuli which can call out never cried.

these emotions and their compounds is greatly

to approximately nine months of age

increased. Otherwise, colnplexity in adult we had not tested him with loud sounds. The

one of the best developed p;iihgsters ever thing occurred, and in addition the lips began

brought to the hospital, weighing twenty-one to pucker and tremble. On

&e third stimulation

pounds at nine nlonths of age,He.was on the the child broke into a sud4.n crying fit. This

whole stolid and unernotiona$<:;His stability is the first time an emotiokd

situation

in the

was one of the principal reasoh9:for using him laboratory has produced 'ony fear or even

subject in this test. We feIt.jhat we could crying in Albert."

do him relatively little harm

carrying out

sucl1 experiments as those outlined below. We had expected just these results on ac-

At app~:osinlately nine months of age we ran count of our work with other infants brought

llilll

through the emotional tests that have be- up under similar conditions. It is worth while

come a part of our reg~llar routine in determin- to call attention to the fact that removal of

in::

tvhether few reactions can be called out by support (dropping and jerking the blanket

othet. scim~rli tl~at~ slurp noises and the sudden upon which the infant was lying) was tried

relno~al of support. Tests of this type have exhaustively up011 this infant

the same

bcrn

tlescribrd by the senior author (1919) in occasion. It

~vas

not effective in producing the

;ltloihrl- (2l:~ce.

111

brief,

the infant was con- fear response.

This stimulus is effective in

flolltecl sudtlc~il~.

;~[ld

for the first time

SLIC-

younger children. At what age such stimuli

crssircly

h.irIi

\\,llire rnc, a rabbit, dog, a

monkey.

\vi!li

nl;~sLs

rvitil

and lviihout hair,

from

iournol of ixperrmentoi

Psychology,

:929.

14.

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In recent literature vnriolrs s p e c i ~ l a t i o ~ ~ s]lave cotton ~vool, burning nrwspxpers, etc. A

these emotions and their compounds is greatly UP to approximately nine months of age

whole stolid and unernotiona$<:;His stability is the first time a n emotiokd situation in the

d o him relatively little harm by carrying out.

(:II~ILII.cIIC.CI.I O S C ~ l l e i r fear o t tl1c111. i'llis 111sI1c;lcl. Tile ~ I ~ ~ I I ~ ~ , J \ ~ i , , ~ c , l L ~ c :L I I ~ I ; l l l c l~ ~ ~ f e l l~ ]

~ l ~ ~ ~ l i > , ~ l ~ l ~ .L I C ~ ) C I I L I S L I I I O I ~tllc L ~ ~ ~ I ~ l l eI ~ cl~il(lI I ~ ~ I'OI.~.;II.<I.IILII.\III:11,s t'ice ill [ I l e ~ ~ ~ ~ l ~ t r e s s ,H~

I)r rossccl inlo tile : ~ i rand cnilght. (In tile '1. ,just as tile right huntl to\lcllerl r l l c

o i ;lge, gives 11s the means of testing several 11 ilforzths 10 Days

ilnportal~tfactors. I. Can cve condition fear of

11. I f such J. conditioned emotional response tirst to reach for it. T h e rat was then placed

can be csnblished, will there b e a transfer to nearer, whereupon tentative reachins move-

othcr animals or other objects? 111. If after ments began \.it11 the right hand. CVhen the rat

\lave not died our, what laboratory neth hods can tnediately c.ithdra\vn. H e stiu-cecl to reach for

.'ot lire sligfztest si,y/r o f a /err7 repottse zoos oblltined 4. Joint stimlation.Sallle reaction.

in nrr! sifucilion. 3. Rat suddenly presented alone. Puckere?

responses are sho%.nin o u r label-ator-y nores. to the lefc.

6. Joint stimi~lariou. Fell o.er- imlneclintely

11. I l o r r t ~ r s 3 Dcrys 7. Joint stim~~l;~rion.S ~ a ~. t e t lviolentl\ arltl

ar~clijresrnted to .Ilbel.t. He I X ~ L I I I to rc;~chfor & / L C 6 d 60g(111 ~ ~ t o U;Y. ,4111111,/ ~ I I , \ / ~ L ~ I ~ ~ Y11c 111171(~

.iljtillg [. I. ~ ) ~ ~ i.ill ~xpcrirne~it;~llyJ J ~ O C I U C C ~ r. 1 1 ~ 111orio1iso r ~ ~ ~ ~ n i p i i i ; ~ t i o ~ i ,. i t t]lis ; , q ~

:lcii~ic,nrdt.lnotional re:lcrion may be verv i ~ r l ~ t ; ~ t i o l i~ t c)vt'rt' nwto1. ;~ctivit);i s .jt,-~lly,

.zr I n O L I ~ ~ ~ h ~ e r v a t i v r l swe had no 1ne:lns :is our present but iinpi~blishcdespc.rilnrnr:l-

. - ~ 1 1grounded, is rhat these responses in the condition it.') If the analyst has sufficiently

:nicely, unless an accidental method for f o u n w a s an explanation of his avoiding

3 all. Had the opportunity been at h a n d ' w e fully convinced that the dream was a true re-

,f which we may mention. ( 1 ) Constantly cpn- fear.

I