Background: Aim: Validity:
-SLT = learnt, observed, reinforcement, role model. To investigate if children will -Lack ecological validity as children are not presented with a bobo doll
-Little was known about how behaviour of model imitate aggressive behaviour of and does not prove that a child will imitate that same aggressive
might affect an individual when model isn’t present. model, even if model is not behaviour to people.
-Previous research showed that children will readily present. -Lacks external validity as it was a snapshot study so we can’t generalise
imitate behaviour demonstrated by an adult model findings outside the study in the future as we don’t know if the models
if model remains present. Method: influence would have worn off the children.
-Lab experiment
Sample: -Independent measures design +High internal validity as children were pre-rated on levels of aggression
72 children from Stanford Nursery school. -IV’s = sex of model, sex of child, by their nursery teacher so the experimenter had some idea of how
Matched condition from pre-rated aggression using type of model. aggressive the children were prior to the study.
5-point rating scales. -DV = amount of imitative
behaviour and aggression.
Procedure: Bandura et al.
Room 1 = Individually taken to table in room with prints and stickers
for 10 minutes. Aggressive group model started hitting bobo doll, Reliability:
physically and verbally abusing it. +High external/internal reliability due to
Room 2 = All children were taken individually to mild aggression standardised results and results can be copied
arousal room. They were allowed to play with toys but after 2 min outside of the study.
were took away from them. +High inter-rater reliability as 2 observers watched
Room 3 = Had aggressive and non-aggressive toys, including bobo the children behind a one way mirror to see if they
doll, and were observed through one way mirror. imitated aggressive behaviour.
Findings: Conclusions: Ethics:
-Children in aggressive condition, showed more -Children will imitate aggressive/ non- -Parents would have had to give informed consent as all ppts were
aggressive behaviour imitated both physical and aggressive behaviours, even if model is children and under 16, so may wish in the future that they didn’t take
verbal. absent. part.
-Children in non-aggressive condition showed -Children can learn behaviour through -Could have caused psychological harm as children may not have
little aggression. imitation and observation. returned to their original state after the experiment and may still be
-Boys imitated male model more than girls. -Behaviour by male models had a greater imitating the aggressive behaviour shown by model. This could have
-Girls imitated female models more than boys influence on children’s behaviour. caused them to adapt a behavioural problem if aggressive behaviour
for verbal imitative aggression. -Boys and girls are more likely to learn stayed with them outside the experiment.
-Male model exerted greater influence than verbal aggression from same-sex adult. -Were not debriefed, which can be seen as highly unethical as ppts
female model. -Both boys and girls are more likely to did not know they were being watched at it was covert.
-Overall, boys produced more imitative physical learn highly masculine behaviour as -Confidentiality was broken as some video footage was released but
aggression than girls. males had greater influence on children with parental consent.
than female models. -Children were deceived as they weren’t told what the experiment
was about.
-SLT = learnt, observed, reinforcement, role model. To investigate if children will -Lack ecological validity as children are not presented with a bobo doll
-Little was known about how behaviour of model imitate aggressive behaviour of and does not prove that a child will imitate that same aggressive
might affect an individual when model isn’t present. model, even if model is not behaviour to people.
-Previous research showed that children will readily present. -Lacks external validity as it was a snapshot study so we can’t generalise
imitate behaviour demonstrated by an adult model findings outside the study in the future as we don’t know if the models
if model remains present. Method: influence would have worn off the children.
-Lab experiment
Sample: -Independent measures design +High internal validity as children were pre-rated on levels of aggression
72 children from Stanford Nursery school. -IV’s = sex of model, sex of child, by their nursery teacher so the experimenter had some idea of how
Matched condition from pre-rated aggression using type of model. aggressive the children were prior to the study.
5-point rating scales. -DV = amount of imitative
behaviour and aggression.
Procedure: Bandura et al.
Room 1 = Individually taken to table in room with prints and stickers
for 10 minutes. Aggressive group model started hitting bobo doll, Reliability:
physically and verbally abusing it. +High external/internal reliability due to
Room 2 = All children were taken individually to mild aggression standardised results and results can be copied
arousal room. They were allowed to play with toys but after 2 min outside of the study.
were took away from them. +High inter-rater reliability as 2 observers watched
Room 3 = Had aggressive and non-aggressive toys, including bobo the children behind a one way mirror to see if they
doll, and were observed through one way mirror. imitated aggressive behaviour.
Findings: Conclusions: Ethics:
-Children in aggressive condition, showed more -Children will imitate aggressive/ non- -Parents would have had to give informed consent as all ppts were
aggressive behaviour imitated both physical and aggressive behaviours, even if model is children and under 16, so may wish in the future that they didn’t take
verbal. absent. part.
-Children in non-aggressive condition showed -Children can learn behaviour through -Could have caused psychological harm as children may not have
little aggression. imitation and observation. returned to their original state after the experiment and may still be
-Boys imitated male model more than girls. -Behaviour by male models had a greater imitating the aggressive behaviour shown by model. This could have
-Girls imitated female models more than boys influence on children’s behaviour. caused them to adapt a behavioural problem if aggressive behaviour
for verbal imitative aggression. -Boys and girls are more likely to learn stayed with them outside the experiment.
-Male model exerted greater influence than verbal aggression from same-sex adult. -Were not debriefed, which can be seen as highly unethical as ppts
female model. -Both boys and girls are more likely to did not know they were being watched at it was covert.
-Overall, boys produced more imitative physical learn highly masculine behaviour as -Confidentiality was broken as some video footage was released but
aggression than girls. males had greater influence on children with parental consent.
than female models. -Children were deceived as they weren’t told what the experiment
was about.
