Studied by 27 people
Observed aggressive behaviour will be imitated.
Observed non-aggressive behaviour will be imitated.
Children are more likely to copy a same-sex model.
Boys will be more likely to copy aggression than girls.
Model type (aggressive, non-aggressive, no model)
Model gender (same gender as the learner viewing it, or different?)
Learner gender
Before the experiment, children were observed in their nursery by the experimenter and a teacher who knew them well
51 learners were observed and rated by both observers on a 5-point scale in 4 categories.
Physical aggression
Verbal aggression
Aggression towards inanimate objects
Anxiety/aggressive inhibition (wanted to be aggressive but didn’t due to anxiety)
r = .89
Strong positive correlation -- researchers accurately measured aggressive traits
However, it was a subjective measure of aggression because the teacher could’ve had bias against a child to make their score more aggressive
The child was brought to a room
It contained toys (for the children) - like a doll and car
They were told they could play with them
As soon as they did begin to play/get involved (usually 2 mins), the experimenter stopped them
The children were told that they were her very best toys
To see if watching aggressive behavior might calm learners down (cleansing)
To encourage potential aggression in the non-aggressive group, to show evidence of learning from the non-aggressive model
When the child began playing, the experimenter took the model to the opposite corner
The experimenter explained that the toys were for the model to play with
The model was seated at their own table
“Kick him”
“Pow”
“Sock him”
Hitting Bobo with a mallet
Sitting on the Bobo doll and punching the Bobo doll
Kicking the Bobo doll
Tossing the Bobo doll into the air
Mallet aggression -- other objects than Bobo
Sitting on the doll
Physically aggressive acts not directed at the Bobo doll
Hostile verbal remarks that weren’t made by the model
e.g. “Cut him” & “Shoot the Bobo”
One male scored all the children’s behaviors except for conditions when he was a model
A second observer rated children’s behaviors for half of the children
inter-rater reliability: 0.9
Boys who witnessed an aggressive male model had the highest imitative aggression score (of 25.8)
Girls scored higher on verbal aggression than boys
Boys scored higher on physical aggression than girls
Children exposed to same sex model imitated them more than opposite sex model
Girls were more verbally aggressive with a female aggressive model compared to the boys
Both genders imitated physical aggression more from male models
Children in this group were more likely to show aggressive behavior than other groups
They imitated more partial-imitative aggression
Less likely to exhibit mallet aggression, non-imitative physical aggression and verbal aggression
Children in these groups were more likely to play with small dolls than other groups -- spent more time sitting quietly
Children will imitate aggressive behaviour even when a model is no longer present
Children are more likely to imitate aggression observed from a same-sex model
Children who observe/witness aggressive behaviour are more likely to imitate that behaviour
All children watched the same model for the same duration
Were offered the same toys to play with
Observation period = 5 second intervals
Raise validity
Sample consists of:
children (inapplicable to other age groups)
middle class to high income individuals (won’t apply to other social classes)
each experimental condition was a small sample (6 kids)
Could possibly result in bias
The study showed that aggression can be observed and imitated, so TV networks might want to either censor the content of TV programmes.
The study showed children imitate same-sex models so it might be useful in schools; Women can teach girls/men can teach boys to behave/learn more effectively.
Confidentiality = maintained; All we know is that they were children from a nursery at Stanford University
Protection from physical harm = broken; The children could have injured themselves when they were playing/hitting/being aggressive with toys
Protection from psychological harm = broken; The children could have left the study with a different perception of aggression so their way of thinking had been changed before leaving the study.
Right to withdraw = broken; In the experimental room the experimenter remained with the child so they could not leave the room, so it was broken.
Deception = broken due to 1-way mirror
Children didn't have the opportunity to consent nor were they debriefed
Nature:
Boys imitated more aggressive behaviour than girls because they have more hormone testosterone.
Nurture:
Children copied aggression they’d seen
Individual:
Individual factors explain why the acquisition of behaviours differs between boys and girls, and it may be because they are differently rewarded for sex-typed behaviours.
Situational:
The situational influence of models had led children to imitate aggressive behaviour.
Social learning in the context of aggression
People pay attention to the behaviour of a role model
They then retain that information in their memory
They will then imitate/reproduce the behaviour if they feel capable
If they witnessed the model get rewarded (vicarious) then they are more likely to repeat/try to repeat
The imitation is seen as more probable if the role model is of the same sex (as the observer)
Ppts watched an adult model play with toys which isn’t an everyday activity
Lab = low ecological validity
Children were purposely frustrated → not like real life
Note 
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