Little Albert: A neurologically impaired child.

Abstract

Evidence collected by Beck, Levinson, and Irons (2009) indicates that Albert B., the "lost" infant subject of John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner's (1920) famous conditioning study, was Douglas Merritte (1919-1925). Following the finding that Merritte died early with hydrocephalus, questions arose as to whether Douglas's condition was congenital, rather than acquired in 1922, as cited on his death certificate. This etiology would imply that "Little Albert" was not the "healthy" and "normal" infant described by Watson and numerous secondary sources. Detailed analyses of Watson's (1923) film footage of Albert suggested substantial behavioral and neurological deficits. The anomalies we observed on film of Albert B. are insufficiently explained by his hospital upbringing but are consistent with findings from newly discovered medical records of Douglas Merritte. These documents revealed that the infant suffered from congenital obstructive hydrocephalus, iatrogenic streptococcal meningitis/ventriculitis, and retinal and optic nerve atrophy. The medical history also indicates that Albert's sessions with Watson occurred during periods when Douglas's clinical course was relatively stable. Further inquiries found ample sources of information available to Watson that would have made him aware of Douglas/Albert's medical condition at the times he tested the baby. Experimental ethics, Watson's legacy, and the Albert study are discussed in light of these new findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Correcting the record on Watson, Rayner, and Little Albert: Albert Barger as “Psychology’s lost boy”.

“…Mention of this symptom can be found in Douglas's medical records on April 17, April 19, and June 25, 1919, as well as on August 27, 1920, when he was brought back to the hospital for further treatment. The records also indicate that contin ued bulging of the anterior frontalis had occurred from late November 1919 onward (Fridlund et al, 2012) and that an x-ray in early December-around the time of the baseline session-had revealed "very marked hydrocephalus" (MMF, December 6, 1919). Although Douglas's age at the time of the portrait is unknown, if sunset eyes usually accompanied hydrocephalic swelling of his head, this symptom would likely have been evident during the time of the experiment.…”

“…Unless one also questions the accuracy of these reports, then Albert's muted reactions to stimuli were typical of other infants in his cohort, and in comparison to them, would be considered normal. Fridlund et al (2012) also claimed that Albert was significantly language delayed. This conclusion was based on a failure to find any sign of Albert using language in the film, and the fact that Watson and Rayner (1920) men tioned only a single instance of Albert talking.…”

“…in fact severely ill (Fridlund, Beck, Goldie, & Irons, 2012). Initiated by Fridlund's suspicion that Douglas may have had hydrocephalus from birth, they examined the film clips of Little Albert and observed numerous deficits suggestive of neurological impairment.…”

A crítica à psicanálise: um capítulo censurado? DOI - 10.5752/P.1678-9523.2014V20N3P446

“…A releitura dos mitos fundadores também é uma tendência na pesquisa histórica em Psicologia, que chega a um momento em que vários episódios clássicos são questionados, como o Pequeno Albert (Beck, Levinson & Irons, 2009Fridlund, Goldie, Beck & Irons, 2012;Harris, 1979Harris, , 1980Harris, , 2011Samelson, 1980), a transmissão das ideias de Wundt nos Estados Unidos (Danziger, 1979) ou a fundamentação da psicologia social em Comte, reivindicada por Gordon Allport (Samelson, 1974).…”

Little Albert’s alleged neurological impairment: Watson, Rayner, and historical revision.

“…Fridlund et al (2012) did not report Douglas's weight, although it is readily available in the medical file's nursing notes, feeding charts, and graphs showing how his weight fluctuated over time. Figure 1.…”