Bandura, Ross and Ross: Bobo imitation of aggression

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate if children could learn aggression via imitation from a same sex model

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

1. Children shown aggressive model will show ore aggressive imitation compared to those that haven’t
2. Children that wasn’t shown the aggressive model showed significantly less aggressive behaviours compared to those that has
3. Boys will show ore imitative aggression compared to girls
4. Children will imitate same-sex model behaviours to a greater degree than the opposite sex behaviour’s

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

It was a Lab experiment and had these conditions

• the control group
• the group exposed to the aggressive model
• the group expose to the passive model

Question 4

Sample (Procedure)

*basically who was involved in the participant including the experimenter

Answer 4

36 boys/girls (72)
Age = 37-69 months (mean = 52 months)
1 male and 1 female model (adults)

• the control group was separated into 24 other groups and the other 48 groups was sub divided into 8 groups of 6
• the sex of children, model and the aggression shown are half of the total group (4 boys/girl, 4 male/female, aggressive/ non-aggressive)

Example:
boy, male, aggressive / boy, male, non-aggressive
boy, female, aggressive/ boy, female, non-aggressive

girl, female, aggressive/ girl, female, non-aggressive
girl, male, aggressive / girl, male, non-aggressive

Question 5

Extraneous variables and what did they do to try and reduce it
(Procedure)

Answer 5

group is small (6) = results could be distorted if one group contained say 3 children who are normally quite aggressive

Pre-test the sample before hand (matched pair design) = observe and judge aggression shown in nursery using four 5-point rating scales

Question 6

inter-rater reliability (Procedure)

Answer 6

51 of the children = rated by 2 observers independently and compared their ratings. R = 0.89 hence it shows that they agreed

Question 7

Description of the room (Procedure)

Answer 7

Room 1: (each group are in different corners)
non-aggressive =potato prints and picture stickers
aggressive = tinker toy set and bobo doll (mallet but no access)

Room 2:
both aggressive + non-aggressive = attractive toys (10min only)

Room 3:
aggressive + non-aggressive toys = bobo doll (similar to room 1), mallet, toy set, toy gun, ball with a face on it hanging on the ceiling
(20 min play + 1 way mirror for observer)

Question 8

Describe on what happens to each phase in each room (Procedure)

Answer 8

Step 1:
aggressive:
1 min playing quietly (toy set)
actions toward the doll
- doll laid on side, sat on and punched
- struck on the head with mallet
- (verbal) "sock him on the nose" "hit him down" "kick him"

non-aggressive:
played with toy set and was subdued not paying attention to the bobo doll

Step 2:
both aggressive + non-aggressive conditions was sat and shown in a room with attractive toys but told to not play with as was special. This was to make their emotional levels similar to the previous test to prepare for the next phase (basically needs to be frustrated)

Step 3:
a variety of aggressive and non-aggressive toys which can be used aggressively or not

1. screened then put groups - 0bservered in nursery on a scale
2. overserved role model agg. or not
3. played toys then taken away - time intervals 5s (same for 63/65)
4. observed 1 way-mirror

Question 9

Results

Answer 9

• the children in the aggressive model condition made more aggressive responses than the children in the non-aggressive model condition
• boys made more aggressive responses than girls
• the boys in the aggressive model conditions showed more aggressive responses of the model was male than if it was a female
• the girls in the aggressive model conditions also showed more physical aggressive responses if the model was male but more verbal aggressive responses of the model was female

Question 10

Give numerical measures to show that the imitation was present

Answer 10

boys + male model = shown aggression = 25.8 which was 4x the amount of the girls (7.2) and was 12.4 with female model, more than 2x the amount compared to girls| (5.5)

Question 11

What was the overall conclusion in investigating how children learn aggressive behaviour?

Answer 11

not all behaviours is shaped by reward and punishment (can be learnt through observation and produced later through it being overserved)

Question 12

How does the study support the social learning theory(Conclusion)

Answer 12

it shows that one’s behaviour are performed through learning said behaviour but doesn’t use C.C. and O.C. as these learnt behaviours can be learnt through observation alone

Question 13

Give a problem about the theory

- think bio

Answer 13

not purely observation learning -> ignores genetic basis -> not every kid do this = several factors of influence

instead of observation learning -> watching violence can be CATHARTHIC = aids release of aggression than causing it