Odden & Rochat (2004)

• Aim

  study the role of SCT (social cognitive theory) - or observational learning - on the development of cultural norms in Samoa
• how long was the study

  25 months
• participants

  28 children who were 10 when the experiment began and 12 when the experiment finished
• what is the Samoan culture like

  very hierarchical - it has a very high power distance index
• what is the relationship between parent and child in Samoan culture

  Parents have a largely non-interventionist approach to their children and their learning thus children are largely left to learn things on their own without adults attempting to motivate or organize their learning
• procedure


  As fishing lines, spears and nets are limited, children do not participate in fishing with adults. Researchers collected data through both interviews and observations.
• what did researchers observe

  children of around 10 years old would borrow the adult's fishing equipment and experiment on their own without any adult supervision thus allowing them to be able to fish on their own at the age of 12
• how do Samoan children learn the social rules and rank

  children observe parents and overhear their conversations about the system
• what did researchers give to the children

  gave a multiple-choice test of basic knowledge about the chief system to 46 twelve-year-old and found that the majority of the children had a broad understanding of the concepts and the rituals of their society
• conclusion


  cultural norms are not taught directly, but rather learned through the active observation by the children of the adults in the community
• what idea does this study support

  supports enculturation and the idea that values and expectations of the culture can be learnt through others, including parents, but that it doesn't have be directly taught