Who conducted the experiment that demonstrated emotional responses can be conditioned?

The experiment that demonstrated emotional responses can be conditioned was conducted by John B. Watson. He is best known for his work in behaviorism and his famous experiment with a young boy known as "Little Albert." In this study, Watson and his colleague, Rosalie Rayner, conditioned the child to associate a white rat with a loud, frightening noise. Over time, Little Albert developed an emotional response of fear to the rat, even in the absence of the loud noise. This experiment is particularly significant as it illustrates the principles of classical conditioning in the formation of emotional responses, showing how fear can be learned through associative processes. Watson’s work laid the groundwork for the field of psychology by emphasizing the importance of observable behavior and conditioning in the understanding of human emotions.

In contrast, the other theorists mentioned focused on different aspects of psychology. Skinner is known for operant conditioning, Pavlov is associated with classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs but did not specifically focus on emotional responses, and Bandura is known for his social learning theory, which emphasizes learning through observation and imitation rather than conditioning of emotional responses.