Bandura & Ross (1961)

Question 1

Abstract?

Answer 1

• looked at imitation when a model’s present, not present and the degree to which sex model behaviour would be followed
• used nursery school children
• results were related to the psychoanalytic theory of identification

Question 2

Introduction?

Answer 2

• hypothesised that subjects exposed to aggressive models would produce aggressive acts resembling those of their models and would differ from those exposed to non aggressive models and those exposed to no models

Question 3

Methods?

Answer 3

• Children observed a same or different gender model
• The model was either very aggressive to a bobo doll, or neutral
• Model then took children to a separate room and left them to play with toys (inc. bobo doll)
• Control group had no model
• Problem = they frustrated the children by not letting the children play with certain toys = illicit unnatural behaviours or ones they only show when annoyed
• displayed both imitation = when an individual observes and replicates another’s behaviour
• and emulation = individual learning from their environment and using their own methods to meet the end goal

Question 4

What were the strengths of Bandura’s sample?

Answer 4

pretty good sample size, evenly matched across genders (inc. models)

Question 5

What were the weaknesses of Bandura’s sample?

Answer 5

may be biased as all children were from Stanford university nursey school so findings can’t be generalized to a wider demographic

Question 6

Results?

Answer 6

• much more aggressive behaviour in the aggressive condition compared to the nonaggressive and control conditions
• boys showed more physical aggression than girls, but there were no differences in verbal aggression