Bandura's Research

What was the procedure of Bandura et al (1961) research supporting the SLT?

Matched pairs design

• 3-5 year old children were matched based on aggression rating from their teachers

• The children’s behaviour would be observed and rated for how they treated the obo doll

• They would either observe:

- An adult model behaving aggressively, by striking the life-size bobo doll with a mallet and using verbal aggression, e.g. ‘POW’

- An adult model not behaving aggressively towards the bobo doll

Following exposure to the model, children were frustrated by being shown attractive toys that they weren’t allowed to play with. They were then taken to a room where, among other toys, there was a Bobo doll.

What were the findings of Bandura et al (1961) research supporting the SLT?

• The children who observed the aggressive model reproduced higher rate of physical and verbal aggression, resembling that of the model

• The children who observed the non-aggressive model exhibited virtually no aggression towards the Bobo doll

• About 1/3 of the children who observed the aggressive model made verbally aggressive responses

• None of the children who had observed the non-aggressive model made verbally aggressive remarks

Kids are more likely to imitate behaviours if they identify themselves with the role model

Gender = girls were more verbally aggressive where as boys were more physically aggressive

What was the procedure of Bandura and Walters (1963) research supporting the SLT?

• Showed a video to young children where an adult behaved aggressively towards the Bobo doll

• They would either watch:

- The adult being praised for their behaviour - being told “Well done”

- The adult being punished for their aggression towards the doll, by being told off

- The adult not facing any consequences (control group)

What were the findings of Bandura and Walters’ (1963) research supporting the SLT?

When the children were given their own Bobo doll to play with, the group that saw the adult being praised for behaving aggressively showed much more aggression, followed by the group that saw the adult facing no consequences then the group that saw the adult being punished.

What are the strengths of Bandura’s research?

Practical application

• Bandura found that children who observed aggressive model imitated this behaviour

• Useful for parents, not expose children to violent content that could have a negative influence on their behaviour

• Useful for educators, understand the causes of disruptive behaviour exhibited by children and prevent this from happening

Lab experiment

• Standardised procedures such as age, toys, room, model and the behaviour they exhibited therefore study replicable so you can test its reliability

• High control over variables i.e. who they saw, types of toys, how many toys etc. so can establish cause & effect

What are the weaknesses of Bandura’s research?

Lab experiment

• Artificial settings result in low ecological validity and may lead to demand characteristics

• Not applicable to everyday life of kids, their daily life doesn’t consist of being in a room full of toys which could also overstimulate them, causing them to act aggressive in response as they don’t know how to express their excitement

• This may have had an affect on the independent variable

Ethical Issues

• Psychological harm - kids pick up aggressive behaviour from models, which parents have to deal with at home + teachers and classmates at school