Sociocultural - Bandura (1961)

Question 1

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 1

Our tendency to repeat or imitate behaviors for which others are being
rewarded

Question 2

Self-efficacy

Answer 2

: Ones belief in one’s ability to succeed in accomplishing a task

Question 3

Attention

Answer 3

Observer pays attention to a particular social behavior

Question 4

Retention

Answer 4

Retains the sequence of behaviors and consequences for future imitations

Question 5

Production

Answer 5

Repeats behavior in different social context and receives feedback from other
observers

Question 6

Motivation

Answer 6

Repeat behaviors based on social responses and consequences

Question 7

Social Cognitive Theory

Answer 7

emphasizes the critical role of self-beliefs in human cognition,
motivation, and behavior. Bandura’s theory argues that we learn from observing models that
receive rewards and punishments, a process called vicarious reinforcement

Question 8

Aim

Answer 8

Demonstrate that if children are passive witnesses to an aggressive display by an adult,
they will imitate this aggressive behavior when given the opportunity

Question 9

Procedure

Answer 9

One male and one female role model
- Three conditions: control group, group exposed to an aggressive model, and a group
exposed to a passive model. Adult models were separated by gender.
- Researchers (two independent observers) pre-tested the children assessing their
aggressiveness through observation (physical aggression, verbal aggression, and
aggression towards inanimate objects).
- Matched children to each group so there were similar levels of aggression
- Child was taken to the experimental room which was set out for play.
- In the non-aggressive condition, the model ignored the bobo while in the aggressive
condition the model had both physical and verbal aggression towards the bobo
- The experimenter took the child to another room and told not to play with the toys
- Then taken to another room with both aggressive and non-aggressive toys- child were
observed for imitation of physical, verbal, and non-aggressive verbal responses- and nonimitation of adult models: punching bobo, non-imitative physical and verbal

Question 10

Results

Answer 10

Children who saw an aggressive model made more aggressive acts
- Boys if male observer showed aggression, girls if male observer should physical if female
observer showed verbal

Question 11

Evaluation

Answer 11

Sample size small per each experimental group- difficult to generalize
- Shows aggression may be learned but not study whether aggression is innate
- Ethically problematic: exposing children to adult violence against the bobo, children
experienced undue stress and there was the potential for long-term psychological effects
of behavior
- Highly controlled- leaving children with strangers shows low ecological validity
- Cross sectional and only looked at aggression exhibited as a result of seeing the adult hit
the bobo- did not monitor long term effects
- Because gap exists between when a child observed the model and demonstrated the
behavior- cannot establish behavior is a result of observing
- Does not explain why some people never learn the behavior despite the criterion being
met
- Difficulty to assess self efficacy