What was the primary objective of John Watson's Little Albert experiment?
Master all 23 flashcards
Review landmark studies like the Little Albert experiment and others to grasp empirical support for therapies.
By mastering these key experiments, you'll understand the empirical foundations that support various psychotherapeutic approaches, enabling you to critically evaluate therapy effectiveness and design evidence-based interventions in clinical practice.
Showing 20 of 23 cardsSample view
| # | Front | Back | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What was the primary objective of John Watson's Little Albert experiment? | To demonstrate that emotional responses such as fear could be conditioned in humans, illustrating classical conditioning principles. | Think of 'Albert' as the subject learning to fear a neutral stimulus. |
| 2 | Which psychological concept was empirically demonstrated by the Little Albert experiment? | Classical conditioning, showing how emotional responses can be learned through association. | Remember Pavlov's dogs—now applied to human emotion. |
| 3 | What ethical concerns are associated with the Little Albert experiment? | It involved causing distress to a child without apparent lasting follow-up or informed consent, raising ethical issues about harm and consent in research. | Consider modern standards for research ethics. |
| 4 | How did the Rosenhan 'On Being Sane in Insane Places' study support the importance of diagnostic validity? | By demonstrating that psychiatric labels could be applied inaccurately, highlighting the influence of diagnosis on perception and treatment, thus emphasizing the need for reliable diagnostic criteria. | Think of 'pseudo-patients' feigning symptoms to explore diagnosis reliability. |
| 5 | What was the key finding of the Milgram obedience experiments? | That ordinary individuals are capable of inflicting harm under authority pressure, emphasizing the power of situational factors in behavior and informing the understanding of authority in therapy and social influence. | Remember the ethical debates around obedience and authority. |
| 6 | How did Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment support social learning theory? | It showed that children could learn aggressive behaviors through observing models, supporting the idea that learning occurs via observation and imitation, relevant for understanding therapy and behavior change. | Think of 'modeling' as learning by watching. |
| 7 | What does the Stroop effect reveal about cognitive processing relevant to cognitive-behavioral therapy? | It demonstrates the interference of automatic processing with controlled processing, illustrating how automatic thoughts can influence behavior and emotions, relevant for CBT techniques targeting thought patterns. | Consider how automatic responses can be challenged or modified. |
| 8 | In the context of exposure therapy, what does the classical conditioning experiment with Watson and Little Albert illustrate? | It illustrates how fear responses can be conditioned and potentially unconditioned (extinguished), supporting the use of exposure techniques to reduce phobias. | Think of 'unconditioning' fears through controlled exposure. |
| 9 | What did the research on token economies demonstrate about behavior modification? | That positive reinforcement with tokens can effectively modify behavior, especially in institutional settings like mental hospitals or classrooms. | Tokens act as secondary reinforcers in behavior therapy. |
| 10 | How did the experiment by Eysenck challenge the effectiveness of psychoanalytic therapy? | It suggested that a significant proportion of patients improve over time regardless of treatment, raising questions about the specific efficacy of psychoanalysis. | Think of the 'natural improvement' debate. |
| 11 | What is the significance of the Rosenhan experiment in understanding the diagnosis of mental illness? | It demonstrated that psychiatric diagnoses could be unreliable and influenced by context, emphasizing the importance of diagnostic validity and the potential for mislabeling. | Consider the implications for clinical assessment. |
| 12 | Which experiment demonstrated that behavior can be influenced by observing others, supporting observational learning in therapy? | Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment, showing that children imitate aggressive behaviors after observing models. | Think 'modeling' as a foundation for social learning theories. |
| 13 | What did the 'Rescorla-Wagner' experiment contribute to understanding classical conditioning? | It showed that the strength of learning depends on the predictability of the unconditioned stimulus, refining models of how associations are formed. | Focus on the importance of expectation in conditioning. |
| 14 | How does the concept of extinction in classical conditioning relate to exposure therapy? | Extinction involves breaking the association between a conditioned stimulus and the fear response, which is the basis of exposure therapy to reduce phobias. | Think of 'unlearning' fear responses. |
| 15 | What role did the 'Monster Study' have in understanding the impact of negative reinforcement and labeling? | It highlighted the potential harm of negative labeling and reinforcement, informing ethical considerations in therapy and research. | Consider the ethical lessons about language and reinforcement. |
| 16 | What does the 'Doll Experiment' by Bandura reveal about the influence of media and environment on aggression? | It shows that exposure to aggressive models can increase aggressive behavior in children, underscoring the environmental influence on behavior. | Think of media as a model for behavior. |
| 17 | Which experiment highlighted the importance of cognitive processes in behavior, influencing cognitive-behavioral approaches? | The Stroop effect experiment, demonstrating how automatic and controlled processes can influence responses and thoughts. | Focus on automatic versus deliberate processing. |
| 18 | How did the 'Harvard Graded Exposure' study contribute to understanding treatment of phobias? | It demonstrated that systematic, gradual exposure can reduce phobic responses, providing empirical support for exposure therapy techniques. | Think of gradual exposure as a 'ladder' approach. |
| 19 | What was the main contribution of the experiment involving operant conditioning by B.F. Skinner? | It illustrated that behavior could be shaped and maintained through reinforcement and punishment, foundational for behavior modification techniques. | Remember the 'Skinner box' as a tool for shaping behavior. |
| 20 | What did the 'Harlow's Monkeys' experiments teach us about attachment and therapy? | They demonstrated the importance of emotional security and contact comfort in attachment, informing attachment-based therapy approaches. | Think of 'hugs' as essential for healthy attachment. |
Note: This preview shows only the first 20 cards. The complete deck contains 23 total cards. Start studying to access all flashcards.
Master all 23 flashcards
Explore other decks you might find helpful