What stimulus was paired with a white rat to condition fear in Little Albert?

What stimulus was paired with a white rat to condition fear in Little Albert?

• A. A loud noise produced by a metal bar.
• B. A red ball.
• C. A sudden drop in temperature.
• D. A whistle.

Answer: (A)

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus becomes something that elicits a response after being paired with something that already causes that response. In Little Albert’s case, the white rat started off as a neutral stimulus. The loud noise produced by striking a metal bar behind him was the unconditioned stimulus that naturally frightened him (unconditioned response). After several pairings, the rat alone provoked fear, so the rat became a conditioned stimulus and the fear became the conditioned response. This shows how an emotional reaction can be learned through association. The other options weren’t the elements used to create that learned fear in this study.

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus becomes something that elicits a response after being paired with something that already causes that response. In Little Albert’s case, the white rat started off as a neutral stimulus. The loud noise produced by striking a metal bar behind him was the unconditioned stimulus that naturally frightened him (unconditioned response). After several pairings, the rat alone provoked fear, so the rat became a conditioned stimulus and the fear became the conditioned response. This shows how an emotional reaction can be learned through association. The other options weren’t the elements used to create that learned fear in this study.