Core Studies - Developmental Psychology - Bandura’s Study Flashcards
What is social learning theory
The belief that we can learn through observation and imitation of a role model
Aim
To demonstrate that learning can occur through mere observation of a role model and that imitation of learned behaviour can occur even in the absence of a model
Hypothesis 1
Children shown aggressive models will show significantly more imitative aggressive acts resembling those of their model than those shown non-aggressive or no models
Hypothesis 2
Boys will show significantly more imitative aggression than girls
Hypothesis 3
Children will imitate same-sex model behaviour to a greater degree than opposite sex behaviour
Research method
laboratory experiment and observation
Experimental design
matched p’s and independent measures design
Independent variables
- The sex of the child (Male/Female)
- The sex of the model (Male/Female)
- The behaviour of the model children were exposed to (aggressive/non-aggressive)
Dependant variable
The level of aggressive behaviour shown by the children when observed in phase 3
Sample
- 72 Children
- Average age of 52 months
- Equal amounts of boys and girls
- Children attending Stanford University Nursery School
Sampling method
Opportunity sampling
The matching procedure
- Nursery school teacher and female experimenter watched the children and rated aggression on a 5-point scale
- 4 scales measured the extent of physical and verbal aggression as well as aggression towards inanimate objects and aggression inhibition and an overall score was determined
- Children were then arranged into triplets and then assigned at random
Control through the matching procedure
- Children were pre-rated for their levels of aggression by their nursery school teacher and the female experimenter who observed them in the playground
- Both were well acquainted with the children
Name the 3 phases in the procedure
- Phase 1: The role model
- Phase 2: The arousal
- Phase 3: Observation
Phase 1 of procedure
- Children in the control group did not experience the first phase
- Children led to a room with the experimenter on their own and started playing with craft toys together
- Some toys in the room included a mallet and a bobo doll
- After 1 minute, the experimenter would turn to the bobo doll and spent the remainder of the time being either aggressive or non-aggressive towards it
- In agg condition the role model performed standardised aggressive behaviour, both physical and verbal
- This set routine was repeated three times for each child
- In non agg condition the role model would ignore the bobo doll and play with the child for 10 minutes
What were the standardised behaviours displayed by the aggressive role model (Physical)
- Punching the bobo doll on the nose
- Throwing the bobo doll in the air
- Hitting the bobo doll with the mallet
What were the standardised behaviours displayed by the aggressive role model (Verbal)
- ‘Pow!’
- ‘Sock him in the nose!’
- ‘Kick him!’
What behaviour was displayed by the non-aggressive model
- In non agg condition the role model would ignore the bobo doll and play with the child for 10 minutes
How many times was the set routine repeated
3 times for each child
What happened when children first entered the room
- Children led to a room with the experimenter on their own and started playing with craft toys together. Some toys in the room included a mallet and a bobo doll
When did the role models start displaying behaviours appropriate for the experimental condition
After 1 minute of being in the room
Did children in the control group experience the 1st phase
No
Phase 2 of procedure
- All 72 Children went into this room
- The children were taken into a room filled with attractive toys such as a fire engine and a colourful spinning top
- The experimenter explained that the toys were for the children to play with but as soon as the child became involved in playing with the toys, the experimenter then took the toys away saying they were reserved for other children
Phase 3 of procedure
- This room contained toys of an aggressive and non aggressive nature
- The child was allowed to play for 20 mins and was observed without their knowledge through a one way mirror by the male model and another observer in 5 second intervals
- The observers used a double blind design and the female experimenter stayed in the room with the child but to avoid distraction kept themselves busy with paperwork
What type of sampling was used to observe the children’s behaviour
Time sampling
What are the disadvantages of the type of sampling used to observe the children’s behaviour
- Behaviours can be missed in between the observing periods
- This decreases internal validity as not all behaviour is being collected
What design was used by experimenters as a control when observing children’s behaviour
A double blind design
Why was a double blind design used when observing children’s behaviour
- To remove potential bias
- Observers may look out for certain behaviours if they know which experimental condition each child is in and miss other behaviours due to bias
Results (Hypothesis 1)
The children in the aggressive condition showed significantly more imitation of physical and verbal aggressive behaviour than the children in the non-aggressive or control conditions
Results (Hypothesis 2)
Overall boys produced more imitative physical aggression than girls
Results (Hypothesis 3)
The overall results also appeared to show that the male model was more influential over both the boys and girls than the female model
Qualitative results
- Often confusion about the female role as it seemed that children felt that it was not appropriate for the model to act in such an aggressive way
- In phase 1, children were reported to have said ‘Who is that lady? That’s not the way for a lady to behave, ladies are supposed to act like ladies
- Children seemed to simply accept the aggressiveness of the male model more easily saying things like ‘He’s a good fighter like daddy’
Conclusion 1
Aggression is learned through observing role models. Bandura suggests that if a child sees an adult behave aggressively it legitimizes the behaviour, so the child will assume that aggressive behaviour is acceptable
Conclusion 2
Children will imitate aggressive/non-aggressive behaviours displayed by adult models, even if the model is not present
Key finding
Children in aggressive model condition are more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour
Link to Key Theme
This finding demonstrates that the external influence of an adult role model can lead to the imitation of aggressive behaviour among children, showing that external influences can have a negative impact on a child’s behaviour
Link to Area
This shows that a change in the children’s experience in the environment is what causes the development of aggressive behaviour
