Growth and Development Exam Related

Review Growth and Development Exam related questions and content

In a historic experiment with 11-month-old Albert, John Watson demonstrated that __________.

  • A. children cannot be conditioned to fear a formerly neutral stimulus
  • B. infants as young as a few months old will repeat a behavior to obtain a desirable reward
  • C. children can be conditioned to fear a formerly neutral stimulus
  • D. children have an innate, inborn fear of rats
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: In the historic experiment with 11-month-old Albert conducted by John Watson, it was demonstrated that children can be conditioned to fear a formerly neutral stimulus. This is known as classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned response. In this case, Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat by pairing the rat with a loud noise. This experiment showcased the power of conditioning in shaping behavior and emotional responses in children.