Bandura Flashcards
What was the aim?
To investigate whether children will imitate aggressive behaviour even if in a different environment and without a model present.
What was a hypothesis?
Boys will show more imitative aggression than girls.
What were the research methods used?
Lab experiment, controlled observation, independent measures design.
What was the sample?
72 (36m, 36f) children, Stanford University Nursery School, mean age of 4 1/2 years.
How was the sample chosen?
Matched through a rating on their levels of aggression (5 point scale). The scale measured verbal and physical aggression towards inanimate objects. Randomly assigned to conditions/control group.
What were the IV’s?
-Role model (aggressive/non-aggressive)
-Sex of role model (male/female)
-Sex of child (male/female)
What was the DV?
Amount of imitative behaviour + aggression, measured by a male model and another observer noting down at 5 second intervals. Physical - acts imitated, verbal - phrases imitated.
What were 2 results?
Overall boys produced more imitative aggression than girls.
Children who saw the same sex model imitated a model’s behaviour significantly more.
What was a conclusion?
Children can learn behaviour through observation and imitation.
What was the aggression score for each child?
- Imitative aggression responses (physical/verbal)
- Partially imitative responses (mallet aggression, sits on bobo doll)
- Non-imitative responses (punches bobo doll, physical + verbal, gun play)
- Non-aggressive verbal responses (‘He keeps coming back for more’)
What happened in phase 1 (MODELLING)?
Each child was taken individually, model invited to join them. They were asked to design a picture using potato prints, stickers on a table in the corner. Experimenter left the room for more natural behaviours.
What happened in phase 1 (MODELLING) - aggressive condition?
Model played quietly for 5 minutes, turned to bobo doll, being aggressive (repeatedly punching, kicking)
Standardised comments - ‘hit him down’, ‘pow’, ‘he keeps coming back for more’.
What happened in phase 2 (AGGRESSIVE AROUSAL)?
Room contained attractive toys (fire engine, spinning top etc.), children allowed to play with toys for 2 mins, then experimenter said she decided to reserve toys for other children, moved to adjoining experimental room.
What happened in phase 3 (EXPERIMENTAL ROOM)?
1 way mirror- male model + 2nd observer present, contained aggressive toys (bobo dolls, mallet, dart gun), non-aggressive toys (tea set, ball, cars).
experimenter sat quietly working while child played for 2 mins, observer did not know which condition child had participated in, recorded every 5 seconds (time sampling).
