How a 1920 psychological study conditioned a baby to fear anything fluffy

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 4 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Discover the chilling details of the Little Albert experiment, a landmark study in behaviorism that sought to understand how human emotions are learned.

In 1920, psychologist John B. Watson, known as the father of behaviorism, conducted the Little Albert experiment. The study involved conditioning an infant, identified as Albert B., to develop a fear response to any fluffy objects through specific psychological techniques.

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