S6 - Key Study Evaluation

• Methodology

  +Controlled observation on conditioned phobias

  Controlled extraneous variables such as emotional testing and controlled condition (blocks)

  THEREFORE: improves internal validity

  -Critcism ARTIFICIAL

  Used controlled conditioned sessions to create phobia

  Lacks mundane realism as phobias dont occur this way

  THEREFORE: lacks ecological validity
• Procedure

  +Used movie camera to record behaviour

  Allowed replication and analysis

  THEREFORE: Improves reliability abd inter-rater
• Sample

  -Study had one participant “Little Albert”

  Chosen as he was stable

  Cannot generalise findings to all children

  THEREFORE: lacks population validity
• Ethics

  • Psychological harm

  Induced stress (crying, throwing arms, falling) and caused life long phobia exploitatively

  Justification: 5 days intervals to reduce stress

  Phobias occur in everyday
• Consent

  • Albert cannot consent

  Justification: His mother gave consent on his behalf
• Decondition

  • Did not decondition him - life long phobia

  Justification: Mother moved away and withdrew Albert therefore did not get the chance to decondition him
• Intensified fear

  • Removed thumb sucking to improve validitu