transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive role models (Bandura 1st study)

Question 1

aim

Answer 1

to see whether aggressive behaviour could be acquired through observation of aggressive role models

Question 2

what 4 hypothesis did the study test

Answer 2

1. children being exposed to aggressive role models would imitate the modelled aggression
2. observation of non-aggressive models would inhibit aggressive behaviour
3. children will imitate the behaviour of the same-sex model more than the model of the opposite sex
4. Boys would display more aggression than girls

Question 3

the method

Answer 3

lab experiment
the design is matched pairs
matched on aggression levels

Question 4

procedure

Answer 4

72 children from Stanford university nursery were studied
36 boys and 36 girls

divided into 3 conditions
12 boys and 12 girls witnessed an aggressive role model
12 boys etc witnessed a non-aggressive role model
12 boys etc. did not see a role model

each group was then divided again into half with same sex and the other opposite sex

Question 5

stage 1- modelled refusal (10 mins)
procedure

Answer 5

experimenter led ppt to play room, encouraged to play

aggressive condition-

model played with tinkertoy set, but turned to bobo doll and was aggressive. repeated 3 times in ten mins
-hit on head with mallet
- kick him
-he keeps coming back for more

non-aggressive condition-
played with toys in subdued manner and ignored bobo doll

Question 6

stage 2- mild aggression arousal (2 mins)

Answer 6

each child taken into room where theyw ere subjected to mild aggression arousal

filled with attractive sparkling toys

allowed to play with them for two mins

exp. stopped child and said ‘u can play with toys in next room’

make sure emotional levels were around the same for each child

Question 7

stage 3- test for delayed imitation

Answer 7

each child, taken into room 3
contained a variety of aggressive toys, bobo doll, peg board
and non-aggressive such as crayons

child played with toys with experimenter in room for 20 mins

two observers scored behaviour in five second intervals

gun play
imitative physical aggression etc.

Question 8

main results

Answer 8

boys who saw a male role model showed a mean physical aggression score of 25.8 whereas in the non-aggressive condition mean was 1.5

Question 9

conclusions

Answer 9

behaviour is learned when a role model is observed and imitated

Question 10

generalisability

Answer 10

W- sample biased as ppt not representative of the target pop. of children in general
likely to have been sons and duaghters of academics, from a middle class white background
cultural bias
children between 3 and 5…findings may not generalise to older children or adults

Question 11

reliability

Answer 11

S- high as standardised procedures were used to make it replicable
aggression in arousal stage, children had exactly the same toys to play with and same phrase ‘these are my very best toys’

results of two observers used to record the behaviour in the test for delayed imitation were checked for reliability (high 0.9 very strong positive correlation)

Question 12

applications

Answer 12

provoked debate on aggressive role models in children behaviour and aided the development of policies that censor what children can watch…some shows don’t play until after 9

Question 13

ecological validity

Answer 13

W- completed ina lab setting, artificial environment may have seen the children behaviour being less natural
bobo doll was an usual object all 3 rooms were controlled not realistic

Question 14

validity

Answer 14

S- internal validity high as in lab setting had lots of controls to ensure that extranous varibales did not have an effect on the children’s behaviour
P’s aggression levels prior were controlled by being matched with a child with similar aggression rating
randomly allocated conditions
see cause and effect links between role models and behaviour of children since main variables were isolated

W- bobo doll itself…children believe they were exzpected to hit the bobo doll as the adult was giving them instructions
demand characteristics may mean behavioural diffrences not due to observation

Question 15

ethics

Answer 15

W- not clear how consent was grabnted for children and whether the parents knew exactly what would happen to their child

ppt not protected from harm as they were trained to be aggressive, and ity was not known how long the effcts of the study would last