The Psychology Experiment That Taught a Baby to Be Afraid and Made Psychology Question Its Ethics

In 1920, psychologists at Johns Hopkins University conducted one of the most famous and controversial experiments in the history of psychology.
The study, now known as the Little Albert experiment, was designed to test whether fear could be learned through conditioning. Led by behaviorist psychologist John B. Watson and his assistant Rosalie Rayner, the experiment involved a nine-month-old infant who was exposed to a white rat while a loud noise was used to create a fear response.
Over time, the child began to fear not only the rat but other soft and furry objects as well.
In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, we explore the origins of behaviorism, the unusual experiment that shaped modern psychology, and the ethical questions that followed. We also examine how the study influenced our understanding of learned fear, conditioning, and the powerful ways experiences shape human emotions.
Blending strange science history, early psychology experiments, and the evolution of research ethics, this episode tells the story of one of the most unsettling studies ever conducted.
If you enjoy strange history, psychology mysteries, unusual scientific experiments, and stories about the hidden workings of the human mind, this episode belongs in your queue.
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