2. BACKGROUND
This theory is proposed by J.B. Watson
(1878-1958)
He was an American psychologist and he
was the first person to use the term
behaviourism to study human behaviour.
His research was greatly influenced by
Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory.
Using Classical Conditioning Model, he
made a research on children’s emotion.
3. EMOTION LEARNING BY
STIMULUS GENERALIZATION
According to Watson, human normally inherit
three kinds of basic emotions : fear, anger and
love.
These emotions can be learned through the
process of conditioning.
This hypothesis is then followed by his
experiment, assisted by Rayner (1920)
4. His subjects were a nine-month old baby,
named Little Albert and a white, tame mouse.
The purpose of this experiment was to prove
that the feeling of fear towards the mouse can
be learned through the process of
conditioning.
Initially, the baby liked to play with the white
mouse.
However, after given unconditioned stimulus,
the baby was terrified at the sight of the mouse
and everything resembling it.
5. 1. A white mouse was brought to Little Albert.
Little Albert was interested in it and played
with it.
2. The second time the mouse was shown to
Little Albert, a loud, startling sound
(unconditioned stimulus) was emitted all of
the sudden from the back.
3. The reaction shown by the baby was fright
and fear.
6. The mouse was a conditioned stimulus which
Little Albert was familiar with. At first, he was not
afraid of it.
On the other hand, the loud, startling sound was
an unconditioned stimulus which Little Albert was
not familiar with. The sound came with the mouse
all of the sudden and that has caused Little
Albert’s fear.
Each time the mouse was shown to Little Albert, it
will be followed by the sound. In this way, a
conditioned response (fear) was established.
7. The conclusion made was that, Little Albert had
related the sound with the white mouse which he
played with previously.
Through this conditioning process (continuous
exposure to the mouse and the sound), Albert
has learned to respond with fear.
Little Albert was also stimulated with other
stimuli (white rabbit, fur coat, fury thing) and he
responded the same way- fear.
This is what Watson concluded as stimulus
generalization – Little Albert has generalized that
all fury and white things will make loud sounds,
and thus he was afraid of them.
8. IMPLICATIONS OF WATSON’S THEORY
IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
1. All types of behaviour can be learned through
the conditioning process. Positive behaviour
can be taught by using suitable stimulus.
E.g : A teacher rewarding her student with
candies (stimulus) each time he sweeps the
floor. The student will adapt to this positive
behaviour because of the stimulus.
9. 2. In order to master the skill of problem solving,
pupils ought to relate the relationship between
all responses systematically.
3. In order to consolidate what has been learned
in the memory, more exercises should be
carried out after learning (plays important in
knowledge retention-long term memory)
4. During the teaching process, teacher should
use suitable stimulus to motivate pupils in
learning, (rewards) and at the same time,
avoid using stimulus which will produce
negative effect. (excessive punishments)
