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Little Albert: A neurologically impaired child
Alan J Fridlund1, Hall P Beck, William D Goldie
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara.
History of Psychology
|February 13, 2013
Summary
The "Little Albert" study subject was likely Douglas Merritte, who had congenital hydrocephalus and neurological deficits. This challenges the historical view of him as a healthy infant, raising ethical questions about John B. Watson's research.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medical History
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The identity of
- Little Albert
- the subject of John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner's 1920 conditioning study, has been a long-standing question.
- Previous research identified Albert B. as Douglas Merritte (1919-1925), who died of hydrocephalus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the etiology of Douglas Merritte's hydrocephalus and its implications for the "Little Albert" study.
- To re-evaluate the health status of the
- Little Albert
- subject based on newly discovered medical records.
- To examine the ethical considerations of Watson's study in light of the subject's medical condition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Watson's (1923) film footage of Albert B. for behavioral and neurological deficits.
- Review of newly discovered medical records of Douglas Merritte.
- Comparison of film observations with Merritte's medical history.
Main Results:
- Douglas Merritte suffered from congenital obstructive hydrocephalus, iatrogenic streptococcal meningitis/ventriculitis, and optic nerve atrophy.
- Analysis of film footage revealed behavioral and neurological deficits in Albert B. consistent with Merritte's medical conditions.
- Watson likely had access to information about Merritte's condition during the conditioning experiments.
Conclusions:
- The
- Little Albert
- subject was likely Douglas Merritte, who was not a healthy infant as previously described.
- The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of the experimental ethics and legacy of Watson's conditioning study.
- New evidence suggests John B. Watson was aware of the subject's medical condition, impacting the interpretation of the study's findings.
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