The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-03-28
Fears re Acquired, =.
- Experiments: Reve a /
one: ear -oldsi .Braver Than. Grown.
Ups, Learn Host Of Hsnpering
:~:: Terors.

New York, March 2s.-Fhe d,.,oy.
cry that babies are born without fear
and remarkable revelations Of how the
hampering fears that dog every Lo
mans footsteps; later in lir. ans.
nave resulted from a unique Series ,f
experiments recently undertaken J.,
Or. John B. Watson, noted Mex
York psychologist.
Doctor Watson's theory. as descrih.
ed in the April issue of Popular SCI.
cnce Monthly. is in part as follows:
Your fears are not your natural
oirthright; nor did they lust grow. .
Most of them were taught you by rour
parents and other grown al.
most before you were out Of crccpcrS.
Almost every common fear that Won
can think Of has developed from. az
has been conditioned" on. some prc
Vlous fear. That fear, in turn. has been
conditioned on still another fear. Thu,
your pet horrors and aversious have
multiplied in steady progression, as
!he years have gone by, from two fun
damental fears that startled YOU and
made you cry when you were q hclp-
less baby. These, DR.. Watson's ex
1erlments have revealed, were:
Loud sounds. . Falling. or sudden
removal of support.
Character Formed Early.
When an infant is two years old nc.
cording to these new discoveries. IT,;
fundamental character is alrcad,
formed 1t has already become fear
less or timid, active or indolcnt. The
general pattern Of its character, the
emotional nature that will make O.,
break the adult, has already been laid
down.
DR.. Watson's final conclusion was
that we learn to be afraid as we grow
elder; for nearly all grown-ups nos
sess fears attached not only To noises
and falls, but to animals, persons.
places and even general situations
These secondary fears are caused. de-
olares Doctor Watson, by psycholog-
lcal process called "thc conditioning of
rcflexcS." To prove this. he actually
developed a fear in one infant. doinr
under scientific conditions lust what
parents, through lack of proper super
vision, unconsciously permit children
to do. The tests were performed with
"Albcrt,' child aged IL months and
three days, as the subject.
Repeated tests revealed that Albert
at the outset feared nothing but loud
noises and the removal Of support. He
played with white rat without the
slightest display of terror From this
point the fcardevrloping experiments
proceeded.
Fears Created Easily.
The white rat was again shown to
Albert, but this time as he reached
for it, bar behind him was struck
with hammer. Instantly the baby
started and began to cry. He was
rot afraid of the rat, but he did fear
noise.
A week later, the white rat was
shown him again. He hesitatcd for
an instant then reached for it once
more. When the bar was struck, he
lccoilcd in terror.
short time later the rat was shown
to him, with no accompanying sound
Instantly the baby Ecgan 10 cry, then
raised himself on all fours and crawl
ed away
I'VE thus see how easily such cpnii-
toned fears may grow up in the
home" Doctor Watson observes. "A
child that has gone to bed for years
without a light with no fear. mag.
through the loud slammlng of doors,
become conditioned to darkness"