What object was used in the conditioning phase of Watson and Rayner's study?

In Watson and Rayner's experiment, known as the Little Albert study, a white rat was selected as the object used during the conditioning phase. The goal of the experiment was to demonstrate that emotional responses, such as fear, could be conditioned in humans by associating a neutral stimulus—in this case, the rat—with an unconditioned stimulus that elicited a strong emotional response.

Throughout the conditioning process, Little Albert was initially not afraid of the rat. However, after several pairings of the rat with a loud noise (which naturally scared him), he developed a conditioned fear of the rat. This pivotal study highlighted the principles of classical conditioning in shaping emotional responses and the potential for learned behaviors to influence psychological responses. The use of the rat is key as it demonstrated how a previously neutral stimulus could become a trigger for fear through conditioning.