Bandura

• Aim

  to demonstrate that learning can occur through mere observation of a role model and that imitation of learned behaviour can occur even in the absence of a model
• Hypotheses (scientific - hypotheses testing)

  1. children shown aggressive models will show significantly more imitative aggressive acts resembling those of their model than those shown non-aggressive or no models
  2. boys will show significantly more imitative aggression than girls
  3. children will imitate same-sex model behaviour to a greater degree than opposite sex behaviour (identify more with a same sex model)
• Research method

  lab experiment

  used a matched Ps and IMD

  also used observation to collect the data on aggressive behaviour
• Independent variables

  -sex of the child (male/female)

  -sex of the model (male/female)

  -the behaviour of the model the children were exposed to (aggressive/non-aggressive)
• Dependent variable

  the level of aggressive behaviour shown by the children who were observed in room
• Sample + sampling method

  children attending Stanford University Nursery School

  72 children, average age of 52 months, equal number of boys + girls (36 boys, 36 girls, aged between 3 and 5 years old)

  opportunity sample as Bandura used children who fitted his criteria and who were readily available
• Evaluation of sample + sampling method

  +no gender bias = can generalise imitative aggression to boys and girls

  +most economical method

  -only 3-5 years = can't generalise to teenagers

  -sampling bias = may have selected more impressionable children

  -ethnocentric = all American (Stanford) - children from one western culture, more impressionable
• The matching procedure

  controls for individual differences = won't have all aggressive children in one condition = high IV

  
• Procedure phase 1

  
• Procedure phase 2

  
• Procedure phase 3

  
• Quantitative results

  • children in the aggressive condition showed significantly more imitation of physical and verbal aggressive behaviour than children in the non-aggressive or control conditions
  • overall boys produced more imitative physical aggression than girls
  • the overall results appeared to show that the male role model was more influential over both boys and girls than the female model (gender norms in 60s)
• Qualitative results

  • there was often confusion about the female role, it seemed that the children felt it was not appropriate for the female model to act in such an aggressive way. in phase 1 children were reported to have said 'Who is that lady? That's not the way for a lady to behave, ladies are supposed to act like ladies.'
  • the children seemed to simply accept the aggressiveness of the male model more easily, saying things like "Al's a good socker, he beat Bobo. I want to sock like Al.", "That man is a strong fighter, he punched and punched and he could hit Bobo right down to the floor and if Bobo got up he said, 'Punch your nose.' He's a good fighter like Daddy."
• Conclusions

  
• Evaluation table

  
• Background: Outline social learning theory (use key words: observation, imitation, role model)

  Bandura was inspired by the social learning theory, which is the belief that we can learn through observation and imitation of a role model.
• Background: outline previous research by Bandura + Hudson

  Previous research testing this theory by Bandura and Hudson (1961) showed that children will imitate behaviour they observe from an adult role model if the role model remains present in the situation
• Background: how this influenced Bandura to research the influence of role models further, when the model is absent

  However, little was known about imitation once the role model was absent. this therefore inspired Bandura to carry out a similar study in which the role model was absent and left the situation, allowing him to see whether the children would still imitate their behaviour
• Exam Q:

  
• How Bandura's study is ethnocentric

  sample of 72 children were all selected from same place, Stanford university nursery in American (one Western culture), making sample ethnocentric. biased as children from US may be more impressionable + used to observing/imitating aggression from the media = limits extent to which findings into transmission of aggression can be generalised to children from other cultures
• How a matched Ps design was used (3)

  a female observer and nursery school teacher observed children on playground and pre-rated their aggression on four 5-point scales. the children were rated on their physical aggression, verbal aggression, aggression towards inanimate objects + aggression inhibition. an overall score was given to each child + based on the ratings they were placed in triplets of those with similar scores and assigned at random to one of the 3 conditions (aggressive model, non-aggressive model + no model)
• Exam Qs

  
• Procedure Q (6)

  
• Link to key theme Q pt1

  WHAT = Bandura wanted to investigate whether children would imitate a role model's aggressive behaviour when not in the presence of a role model

  WHO = used 72 children from Stanford university nursery (36 girls and 36 boys), they were matched on their pre-existing levels of aggression + divided into 3 conditions: an aggressive role model, a non-aggressive role model and no role model

  HOW = children in aggressive condition watched an adult role model acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll, children in non-aggressive condition played calmly with a role model for the observation period
• Link to key theme Q pt2

  FINDING = found that the children in the aggressive role model condition displayed significantly more imitative aggression than the children in the other 2 conditions

  LINK = links to key theme of external influences on children's behaviour as the external influence of the adult role model lead to the imitation of aggressive behaviour displayed, showing external influences in our environment impact on children's behaviour
• Link to approach Q

  
• More exam Qs

  
• What debates does Bandura link to

  • determinism = the child's imitation of aggressive behaviour was pre-determined by their change in the environment, the aggressive or non-aggressive role model
  • scientific = manipulation of IV (observed either aggressive or non-aggressive RM) allows for establishment of C+E, double blind procedure controls researcher effects so high levels of control over EVs, standardised verbal and aggressive behaviour so replicable
  • situational = the observation of the role model within the child's environment causes children to imitate their behaviour
  • SS = children who had imitated aggressive behaviour from their RMs (e.g. parents) may be shamed even though they've learnt this behaviour from RMs so its not their fault