Przemysław Bąbel
Psychologia Rozwojowa, Tom 18, Numer 3, 2013, s. 9 - 19
https://doi.org/10.4467/20843879PR.13.013.1467Acquisition of emotional responses: Reconstruction and revision of the Little Albert
In 1920 John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner published the results of the study experiment describing how they had conditioned an 11-month-old boy (known as Little Albert) to fear a rat. The experiment is one of the best known and the most frequently cited empirical studies in the history of psychology. Many studies and theories suggesting the role of learning processes in the development of emotional responses were initiated by the Little Albert experiment. The article summarizes the procedures and results of the experiment reported by J.B. Watson and R. Rayner. The importance and impact of the results of the experiment on the development of psychological theories and research is discussed. Errors in the discussions of the Little Albert experiment in Polish psychological literature are identifi ed. The results of the latest historical research on the Little Albert experiment are summarized and their consequences are discussed.
Przemysław Bąbel
Psychologia Rozwojowa, Tom 19, Numer 3, 2014, s. 37 - 47
https://doi.org/10.4467/20843879PR.14.017.2304Przemysław Bąbel
Psychologia Rozwojowa, Tom 16, Numer 3, 2011, s. 27 - 38
https://doi.org/10.4467/20843879PR.11.016.0189Behavioral therapy of developmental disorders from the standpoint of behavior analysis
The article presents the characteristics and methods of therapy of developmental disorders; these methods are derived from the theory of learning and are collectively called behavioral therapy. This presentation takes the standpoint of behavior analysis i.e. a science concerned with behavior and environmental variables which affect it. The article starts with a brief overview of the most basic assumptions of behavior analysis and of the main areas of its applications. Three essential goals of behavioral therapy of developmental disorders have been indicated, and the most important methods used to achieve these goals were described. It has been suggested to classify methods of behavioral therapy according to various kinds of learning from which they are derived and to the laws of learning that constitute the mechanism of their work. Conclusion of this article emphasizes empirically proven effectiveness of behavioral therapy in the treatment of developmental disorders.