AS Psych: Bandura (aggression)
Note: Bandura conducted multiple studies on aggression/involving Bobo dolls, so make sure you are looking at the correct study! (1961)
Psychology Being Investigated
1. The Social Learning Theory (SLT) states that people learn through observing, imitating, and modeling others’ behavior
– People pay attention to the behavior of a model
– They retain the information in their memory
– They then reproduce the behavior if they feel capable
2. Aggression is an act of hostility with the intention of harming another
– Can be physical/verbal
Background
Bandura et al
– Wanted to investigate if SLT could be used to explain aggression, specifically when the model was absent.
In the US, 1960s
– Children rewarded in different ways for imitating adults
– Boys and girls rewarded for sex appropriate behaviors
– Punished for inappropriate ones
Aims
1. To investigate whether children imitate aggressive behavior of an aggressive model (in the absence of the model).
2. To investigate whether children are more likely to imitate the behavior of a same-sex model.
Hypotheses
1. Observed aggressive behavior will be imitated, so children who see an aggressive model will be more aggressive than those seeing a non-aggressive model or no model
2. Observed non-aggressive behavior will be imitated so children who see a non-aggressive model will be less aggressive than those seeing no model.
3. Children will copy the same-sex model.
4. Boys will copy aggression more than girls as it is a masculine trait.
Method
Research method: Lab experiment + observation (structured/controlled/covert)
Research design: Matched pairs
Sampling technique: Opportunity
IVs: model type (aggressive, non-aggressive, no model) AND sex (same sex as child/different sex) AND learner sex (boy/girl)
DV: Behavior of child
Sample
– 72 children: 36 male, 36 female
– 3-6 years old, mean 52 months
– Enrolled in Stamford University nursery school
– 1 female experimenter
– 1 male + 1 female adult models
Procedure
Before the study
– Children observed in nursery school by experimenter and teacher who knew them well
– Rated on 4 measures of aggression: physical, verbal, aggression to inanimate objects, and aggression inhibition (anxiety)
– 5 point scale
– Assigned to one of three groups
– Aggression levels of each group matched
Groups
– 12 girls and 12 boys to control, the rest divided equally by sex between aggressive and non-aggressive, then same-sex and opposite sex models
– 8 experimental groups
Room #1
– Participants (P) tested individually
– Experimenter (E) and child enter room
– E then invited model to enter and come join game
– E escort P to one corner of the room (play area)
– P taught to design pictures with potato prints and picture stickers (previously identified as interesting for children)
– Model (M) escorted to opposite corner of room where there was a Tinkertoy set, small table/chair, mallet, and 5 foot Bobo doll
– E told them these were the toys provided for them to play with
– E left experimental room
– Non-aggressive condition: M assembled Tinkertoys for 10 minutes, ignore Bobo
– Aggressive condition: M assembled Tinkertoy for 1 minute and then attacked Bobo doll
1) Doll was laid on its side, sat on and punched in the nose, picked up and hit on the head with a mallet, and then tossed up in the air and kicked
2) Sequence was performed 3 times over 9 minutes
3) Aggressive comment: “Kick him” / “Sock him in the nose”/ “Throw him in the air” / “Hit him down”
4) Non-aggressive comments: “He sure is a tough fella” / “He keeps coming back for more”
Room #2
– E entered room, told P they will go to another game room, bid M goodbye
– P were under the impression they were no longer in school grounds (different experimental room)
– Contained relatively attractive toys: locomotive, doll carriage, baby crib, etc. (8 toys)
– E says: toys are for P to play with, BUT as soon as they got engaged (2min) E remark that these are her “best toys”, “reserve these toys for the other children”
– P taken to next room in state of frustration
Room #3
– One-way mirror
– P were observed for 20 mins
– 5 second intervals (electric interval timer), 240 response units for each P
– Predetermined behavioral categories used
– Aggressive toys: a three-foot Bobo doll, a mallet and peg board, two dart guns and a tether ball with a face on it that hung from the ceiling
– Non-aggressive toys: crayons and coloring paper, two dolls, three bears, cars and trucks, and plastic farm animals, etc. (total 8 toys)
– Toys had fixed positions
– Male model scored all the children
– Reliability checked by scores of a second observer scoring half the children
– High inter-rater reliability
Response Measures
Measures for Imitation
1. Imitative physical aggression: hitting Bobo with mallet, kicking doll, tossing in air, sitting on doll and punching it in the nose
2. Imitative verbal aggression: repeats phrases “Kick him,” “Sock him,” “Pow,” “Throw him in the air,” and “Hit him down.”
3. Imitative non-aggressive verbal responses: “He sure is a tough fella” and “He keeps coming back for more”
Partially imitative behavior
1. Mallet aggression: strikes object other than Bobo doll aggressively with mallet
2. Sits on Bobo doll: lays Bobo doll on side and sits on it, but no punching
Non-imitative aggressive responses
1. Punches Bobo doll: P strikes, slaps, pushes, doll aggressively
2. Non-imitative physical and verbal aggression: physically aggressive acts directed toward objects other than Bobo doll and hostile remarks e.g. “Shoot the Bobo”, “Cut him”
3. Aggressive gun play: P shoots darts or aims the guns and fires imaginary shots at objects in room
Non-aggressive play and not playing were also counted.
Results
Aggressive behavior
– Observed aggressive behavior was imitated, and boys displayed more aggression than girls did (mean imitative aggression with male model: 25.8 vs. 7.2)
– Boys chose more ‘exploratory’ behavior and gunplay
– Girls tended to play with tea sets and dolls, often choosing to color also
– Children in the aggressive model condition were significantly more aggressive than children in the non-aggressive and control groups
– Girls imitated the verbal aggression of a same sex model more than boys, although not significantly so
– 1/3 of the children in aggressive group copied model’s non-aggressive verbal remarks
Non-aggressive behavior
– Observed non-aggressive behavior was imitated.
– Participants exposed to non-aggressive model condition spent more time playing with dolls non-aggressively than the other groups
Conclusion
All 4 hypotheses were proven.
– Observed aggressive behavior is imitated.
– Boys depicted more aggression than girls.
– There is sex-typed behavior, but the extent varies.
– Observed non-aggressive behavior is imitated.
Ethical Issues
✘ Informed consent: P were very young (3-6 y/o) so they probably did not know the purpose of the study, and they didn’t know they were being observed from behind the one-way mirror
✘ Protection from harm: P’s exposure to aggressive behavior may have caused distress + encouragement of aggression may have negatively influenced the children’s future behavior
Application to Daily Life
1. Parents should not allow children to watch aggressive TV shows and TV shows with parental guidance warnings
2. Parents should strive to show more altruistic and kind behavior to others in front of child, as to have child want to mimic their prosocial behavior, prevent exposure to violent episodes
3. Teachers can encourage children to engage in prosocial behavior in school by setting up a display and having a teacher praise them