evaluation (BA)

• Sample strengths


  Quick and easy to obtain
• Sample weaknesses


  Low in population validity as sample can't be generalised to adults
• Research method & design strengths

  High control increases reliability and internal validity
• Research method & design weaknesses

  Low ecological validity due to lab experiment
• Demand characteristics


  Children were too young to understand that they were being studied- so no demand characteristics

  But their behaviour could change due to them being in an unknown environment
• Validity strengths


  High control, giving high internal validity so C&E can be established
• Validity weaknesses


  Low ecological validity, as hitting Bobo doll is not the same as hitting a real person
• Reliability strengths


  Study is replicable due to standardised procedure, increasing reliability and validity
• Reliability weaknesses


  Sample size for each condition is very small (6 children) so it isn't large enough to establish effects
• Ethics


  Informed consent is questionable as parents consented in their children's behalf

  Protection from harm is questionable as exposing the children to aggressive behaviour could cause them psychological distress
• Quantitative strengths


  Can be used in statistical analysis to show trends in behaviour
• Quantitative weaknesses


  Lacks detail as the numbers do give explanations for behaviours
• Qualitative strengths


  Data is rich in detail so provides a better understanding
• Qualitative weaknesses


  Data is hard to analyse meaning it is hard to show links and trends in data
• Ethnocentric because


  the sample is American, meaning children may be pre-exposed to violence due to high levels of gun ownership- this could influence results
• Not ethnocentric because


  if the implication is that whatever the cultural norms are they will influence the child
• Practical applications


  Led to the 9pm watershed and rating systems for programs, video games and films is a similar application
• Link to developmental area

  Study explains behaviour changing as a consequence of age and experience
• Link to key theme: external influences on children's behaviour

  Study provides evidence to suggest that behaviour can be learnt via observation of models and then can be transmitted from one situation to another