Seligman interprets the results of this experiment as support for his preparedness theory of stimuli pairing. Conductied in part by Rosalie Rayner, in the "Incidental Observations", her and her more famous collaborator noted that thumb sucking was often used as a compensatory device for blocking fear. They claim the subject overgeneralized to such things as a Santa Claus mask, a bearded man, and a fur coat. Later analysis showed that the experimenters overstated the fear response compared the response when the bar was s
Seligman interprets the results of this experiment as support for his preparedness theory of stimuli pairing. Conductied in part by Rosalie Rayner, in the "Incidental Observations", her and her more famous collaborator noted that thumb sucking was often used as a compensatory device for blocking fear. They claim the subject overgeneralized to such things as a Santa Claus mask, a bearded man, and a fur coat. Later analysis showed that the experimenters overstated the fear response compared the response when the bar was struck with the hammer. FTP, name this behaviorist experiment most famously associated with John Watson, where the namesake child was conditioned to fear rats,.
Seligman interprets the results of this experiment as support for his preparedness theory of stimuli pairing.