Bandura original study (LT)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

• The aim of this research was to investigate whether aggression can be acquired through observed behaviour.
• Specifically looking at if boys are more prone to acquiring aggressive behavio

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

• 72 children (36 boys and 36 girls aged 3–6) from Stanford Nursery were grouped based on matched aggression levels rated by teachers and experimenters.
• Children were assigned to one of three conditions: aggressive model, non-aggressive model, or control (no model).
• In the aggression group, children observed an adult (male or female) acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll using physical and verbal aggression.
• All children were then deliberately frustrated by being shown attractive toys they were told they couldn’t play with.
• Finally, children played in a room with various toys (including a Bobo doll), while observers rated their aggression covertly through a one-way mirror.

Question 3

Findings

Answer 3

• those in aggressive groups behaved more aggessively in both imitative and non-imitative aggression
• boys imitated more of the physical aggression from male models
• girls imitated more verbal aggression from female role models
• children in aggressive group would be significantly more aggressive in non-imitative ways

Question 4

Conclusion

Answer 4

• Social behaviour such as aggression can be acquired by imitation of models.
• Imitation is more likely when the modelled behaviour was gender typical (physical aggression in males)

Question 5

Strength

Answer 5

I - Bandura’s study has many factors that were highly controlled
J - the children were matched based on existing aggression which reduces the effects of individual differneces in aggression being an extraneous variable. The multiple conditions included a non-aggressive condition, allowed the rearchers to control for spontaneous aggression. Furthermore, the children were observed one at a time, which avoids the issue for conformity effects in the children’s aggression
E - These levels of controls ensured the study has a high levels of internal validity; therefore, we can be sure that the observed aggression was a result of the children observing the aggressive models

Question 6

Weakness

Answer 6

I - the study lacks mundane realism
J - the situation Bandura used to measure learnng of aggression (playing with a doll), is different from typical situations in which children might have displayed aggressive behaviour towards people e.g. being aggressive towards another child
E - this means that we cannot be sure to what extent the findings of Bandura’s study is showing that children learn to behave aggressively by observing adult role models, will apply to situations of learning behaviour in everyday settings