bandura

• what is social learning theory?

  explains human behaviour as an interaction between cognitive, behavioural and environmental influences by the continuous observing and modelling of other people's behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions
• background of the study

  • aimed to investigate the extent children imitated aggression when modelled by an adult and the effect gender had through observational learning
  • children often repeat adult behaviours, suggesting they identify with adult models
  • looks at whether children will repeat the observed behaviour in a different situation without the model adult
  • looks at gender-specific behaviours, children being sensitive to gender stereotypes behaviours, aggression associated more with masculinity
• aims of bandura's study

  • investigate the observational learning of aggression
  • to determine whether children would reproduce aggressive behaviour, without the presence of the adult model
  • look for gender differences in learning of aggression