by Joanna Kurylo **Date Posted:** 05/21/2024 --- Throughout my career, I’ve had the great privilege of meeting many founders and many “would-a-been” founders - people that talk about wanting to be a founder, but never made the jump. The underlying reason? _Fear._ The journey of a first-time startup founder is filled with challenges, self-doubt, and a deeply unsettling sense of imposter syndrome. And for both first-time founders and “would-a-been” founders, it’s almost always also filled with fear. _What if I fail? What if I run out of money? What if it doesn’t work?_ ![[nikolett-emmert-WbrvdqphU1E-unsplash.jpg]] Photo by [Nikolett Emmert](https://unsplash.com/@niki_emmert?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-white-rat-sitting-on-its-hind-legs-WbrvdqphU1E?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) Imagine being able to strip away the layers of fear that hold you back from taking bold steps in life (such as becoming a startup founder.) Such was the curious intention behind one of the most debated psychological experiments of the early 20th century—the Little Albert experiment. [Conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920](https://www.verywellmind.com/the-little-albert-experiment-2794994), this groundbreaking study aimed to explore the mechanics of fear conditioning in humans. But aside from its controversial nature, what if we could draw significant parallels between Little Albert's acquired fear and the uncertainty that hinders aspiring "would-a-been" entrepreneurs? [70% of people report fear of failure as a major obstacle to starting a business](#).  By delving into The Little Albert experiment, understanding its fear conditioning and consequences, we can better understand not just the science behind fear but also actionable insights to transform apprehension into courage. ## Understanding The Little Albert Experiment The Little Albert Experiment stands as a landmark study in the field of psychology and the theory of classical conditioning. In this experiment, a nine-month-old baby named Albert was the subject. The researchers aimed to explore how emotional responses could be conditioned in humans through associative learning. To set the stage, Watson and Rayner presented Albert with a white rat, a neutral stimulus that Albert initially showed no fear towards. However, every time Albert reached out to touch the rat, Watson struck a steel bar with a hammer, creating a loud, frightening noise that naturally elicited a fear response from Albert. Through repeated pairings of the rat (neutral stimulus) and the loud noise (unconditioned stimulus), Albert began to associate the rat with fear (conditioned response), even in the absence of the noise.  The experiment also demonstrated stimulus generalization, where the conditioned fear response extended to other similar stimuli. Little Albert didn't just grow fearful of the white rat; he also showed fear towards other white, furry objects like a rabbit, a fur coat, and even a Santa Claus mask. This showcased how the conditioned fear response could generalize to other stimuli sharing similar traits with the original conditioned stimulus. This experiment demonstrated the principles of classical conditioning, originally formulated by Ivan Pavlov. [Pavlov's earlier experiments with dogs involved pairing food](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470326/) (unconditioned stimulus) with a bell (neutral stimulus), leading the dogs to salivate (conditioned response) when hearing the bell alone. Like Pavlov, Watson showed that emotional reactions such as fear could be conditioned in humans.  ### From Laboratory To Boardroom: Parallels Between Little Albert And First-Time Founders How is this century-old experiment is relevant today? Consider the fear that often prevents first-time "would-a-been" founders from launching their ventures. Much like Little Albert's conditioned fear, many potential entrepreneurs have their own "rats" – situations or experiences that they’ve learned to associate with failure or rejection. They develop a conditioned fear of failure. These fears often manifests itself as imposter syndrome - a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their skills, talents or accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud." These fears can be powerful enough to overshadow their dreams and potential, similarly to how Albert's fear generalized to other fluffy, white objects.  The Little Albert experiment underscores how early experiences can shape long-term behavior. Similarly, the initial experiences of a startup founder—good or bad—can profoundly affect their confidence and choices. Early setbacks or criticism can condition founders to fear risk-taking, resulting in hesitation and procrastination. Just like Little Albert, budding entrepreneurs face the power of conditioned emotional responses. Yet, by understanding these psychological mechanisms, aspiring founders can work to assuage some of these fears, turning from "would-a-been" entrepreneurs to confident founders that execute.  Ultimately, the Little Albert Experiment offers profound insights into human behavior and learning. By drawing these historical parallels, we can better understand the challenges that hinder personal and professional growth, providing a pathway to overcoming the conditioned responses that hold us back. ## Subscribe for more <form method="post" action="https://sendfox.com/form/3z9nrz/m2qggl" class="sendfox-form" id="m2qggl" data-async="true" data-recaptcha="false"> <p><label for="sendfox_form_email">Email: </label><input type="email" id="sendfox_form_email" placeholder="Email" name="email" required /></p> <!-- no botz please --> <div style="position: absolute; left: -5000px;" aria-hidden="true"><input type="text" name="a_password" tabindex="-1" value="" autocomplete="off" /></div> <p><button type="submit">Subscribe</button></p> </form> <script src="https://sendfox.com/js/form.js"></script> --- **Tags:** #blog/startups --- [[Contact & Subscribe]] | Follow [@JoannaKurylo](https://twitter.com/joannakurylo) on Twitter Copyright © 2024 Joanna Kurylo All rights reserved.