banduras research

• ao1

  Bandura carried out an experiment which involved children who observed aggressive or non aggressive models. children showed for imitation with same sex model because of identification as the children relate to those models more. Imitation is also more likely when children see their models rewarded for their behaviour and less likely when there punished, this is vicarious learning.
• paragraph 2 of ao1

  there are also meditational factors that determine whether children will imitate the model. there are attention where the child needs to pay attention to their model. retention where the child needs to remember what they saw. Motor reproduction where the child has to physically capable of carrying out what they saw and motivation where the child actually wants to do it
• strength: there is supporting research


  fox and Baineson found evidence for this using computer evidence of virtual humans exercising. The models looked similar to the individuals who viewed their virtual model exercising engaged in more exercise in the 24h then those who viewed their model loitering

  k-this therefore supports banduras research as the gretear identification participants have with a model the easier they find it to visualise themselves in the models place which is the same as the children in banduras research
• another strength: lab experiment 


  this allowed for a controlled environment in which the IV(gender and exposure) allowed for the DV (amount of aggression ) to be measured.

  Bandura was able to control all extraneous variables

  k-this means that we can be sure that the changes in aggression (DV) are a result of the changes to gender and exposure (IV) and Banduras research allows to establish a causal relationship.
• one weakness of Banduras research : it was a lab experiment 


  participants may respond to demand characteristics. It's possible that the children thought the main purpose of the bobo doll was to hit and was merely responding to what was expected of them.

  k-Therefore this reduces the internal validity of Banduras study and impacts the scientific credibility of the theory.
• another weakness: many ethical issues


  for example protection from harm and wellbeing of participants. The children may have been distressed by the aggressive behaviours they have witnessed and the aggressive behaviours may have stayed with them going on to be a behavioural problem.

  k-this therefore is a weakness as participants are supposed to leave a study in the same state they entered it.
• another weakness: many ethical issues - A level info

  additionally Bandura would argue that in terms of cost benefit analysis the benefits of society outweigh the potential risks to the children as we gained valuable information about the influence of role models on behaviour.

  k-therefore despite Banduras research having ethical issues there are a lot of benefits to wider society