Przypadek Małego Alberta jako studium rozwoju dziecka

When John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner (1920) conducted their experiment upon conditioned emotional response in Little Albert, they probably didn’t realize that their study would become one of the most popular but also controversial experiments in psychology. Despite its contemporary meaning, the study was only part of a broader scientific project exploring the development of instincts and reflexes in human infants. Moreover, it surely wasn’t planned to be a final report of Watson’s research. Constant interest about the unexplained fate of Little Albert has recently resulted in two scientific historical investigations, which have interpreted his identity and developmental level in different and inconsistent ways. This paper presents outcomes of these two studies, particularly referring to the arguments on the psycho-motor development of Albert B. The results of assessment of the Little Albert’s developmental age, conducted by students as a class exercise on a course of developmental psychology, are also discussed. They might be helpful in the evaluation of different conclusions about Little Albert’s history.