E.g. girl imitate mother’s fear of spiders, upsetting herself + associates NS (spider)
with own distress = CS
=How phobias maintained by being exposed to role model once
Usefulness
Systematic desensitization: someone with fear of spiders sees a trusted one pick
up a picture of spider without harm = sees no bad consequences
Or if they are praised by therapist = vicarious reinforcement
Token economy: pps see learners acquiring tokens + spending them on rewards
(vicarious reinforcement)
=giving out tokens + purchasing rewards with them is public events with many
observers
BANDURA’s BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT (1961)
Aim: whether exposure to aggression influences behaviour
Hypotheses :
- children show more aggressive bhv when exposed to aggressive role model
- less aggressive bhv when exposed to non-aggressive role model
- Boys more imitated aggressive behaviour than girls
- Imitate more same-sex rm =more influence
IV: child M / F Lab + natural experiment
Controlled, covert observation: to control over extraneous variables
16
, Independent groups design: children split into 3 conditions with 24 each
1. Role model was aggressive / non-aggressive
2. Role model was same / opposite sex to child
3. Control condition: no role model
Baseline level of aggression rated on 4 separate 5-point scales to match children so
groups similar
DV: number of verbal, physical, mallet + gun-play aggressive actions of children and
n. of acts of non-imitative aggression
Sample: 72 children aged 3-5
- 36 boys
- 36 girls
Procedure
8 experimental groups of 48 children: each containing 6 (3 M + 3F)
17
with own distress = CS
=How phobias maintained by being exposed to role model once
Usefulness
Systematic desensitization: someone with fear of spiders sees a trusted one pick
up a picture of spider without harm = sees no bad consequences
Or if they are praised by therapist = vicarious reinforcement
Token economy: pps see learners acquiring tokens + spending them on rewards
(vicarious reinforcement)
=giving out tokens + purchasing rewards with them is public events with many
observers
BANDURA’s BOBO DOLL EXPERIMENT (1961)
Aim: whether exposure to aggression influences behaviour
Hypotheses :
- children show more aggressive bhv when exposed to aggressive role model
- less aggressive bhv when exposed to non-aggressive role model
- Boys more imitated aggressive behaviour than girls
- Imitate more same-sex rm =more influence
IV: child M / F Lab + natural experiment
Controlled, covert observation: to control over extraneous variables
16
, Independent groups design: children split into 3 conditions with 24 each
1. Role model was aggressive / non-aggressive
2. Role model was same / opposite sex to child
3. Control condition: no role model
Baseline level of aggression rated on 4 separate 5-point scales to match children so
groups similar
DV: number of verbal, physical, mallet + gun-play aggressive actions of children and
n. of acts of non-imitative aggression
Sample: 72 children aged 3-5
- 36 boys
- 36 girls
Procedure
8 experimental groups of 48 children: each containing 6 (3 M + 3F)
17
