What did John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner demonstrate with their studies of Little Albert?

• A. That operant conditioning is the main mechanism for learning in infants
• B. That attachment is formed through feeding rather than comfort
• C. That emotional responses such as fear can be classically conditioned in humans
• D. That intelligence is primarily inherited and not influenced by environment

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the Little Albert study, which was conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner to explore how emotional responses can be learned through conditioning.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the study involved pairing a neutral stimulus (a white rat) with an aversive stimulus (a loud noise) to see if the infant, Little Albert, would develop a fear response to the rat alone.
3. Step 3: Identify the type of learning demonstrated in the study, which is classical conditioning, where a previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
4. Step 4: Note that the key finding was that emotional responses, specifically fear, can be conditioned in humans, showing that such responses are not purely innate but can be learned.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the study provided evidence supporting the idea that classical conditioning is a mechanism through which emotional reactions can be acquired, rather than being solely inherited or instinctual.