The Little Albert experiment was primarily associated with which psychological concept?

The Little Albert experiment is primarily associated with classical conditioning, which is a learning process whereby a previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, leading to a conditioned response. In this experiment, conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920, a young child named Albert was exposed to a white rat and other stimuli that had initially elicited no fear from him. However, through repeated pairings of the rat with a loud, frightening noise, Albert began to demonstrate fear responses not only to the rat but also to other similar stimuli, such as a rabbit or a fur coat.

This experiment was significant in demonstrating that emotional responses, such as fear, could be conditioned and unconditioned, showcasing the principles of classical conditioning articulated by Ivan Pavlov. As a result, Little Albert's reactions highlighted how environmental stimuli could influence behavior and emotions through learned associations.