SLT, Bandura

Question 1

Bandura (1961) - Aim, Sample, AO3

Answer 1

• To see whether aggressive behaviour could be acquired through the observation of aggressive role models
• 36m/36f
• Mean age = 4 years old
• Opportunity sample from Stanford University Nursery
• Matched pairs design with children rated on their pre-existing aggression using a 5-point scale

AO3 ‹+› used match pairs, reduced the impact of extraneous variable such as individual differences in pre-existing levels of aggression, can be more confident that imitated aggression is due to observing aggression, increases the internal validity

AO3 ‹-› only used 72 4 year old children, cannot generalise to older children or adults, reduces the population validity

Question 2

Bandura (1961) - Procedure, Results, AO3

Answer 2

• Stage 1: children spent 10 mins in experiment room
  • Aggressive condition: observed adult modelling aggression towards a Bobo doll
  • Non-aggressive condition: model ignored the Bobo doll
• Stage 2: child subjected to ‘mild aggression arousal’, taken to a room and allowed to play with toys, after 2 mins was told they were reserved for other children
• Stage 3: left in a room for 20 mins with aggressive (mallet, gun) and non-aggressive toys (cars), noted behaviours every 5 secs (240 pieces of data)
• Girls imitated 5.5 aggressive acts when the model was female, 7.2 when the model was male
• Boys imitated 25.8 aggressive acts when the model was male
• Supports SLT

AO3 ‹+› standardised procedure (same toys, observed for 20 mins), replicable, researchers can check the reliability of the findings into imitative aggression

AO3 ‹-› artificial setting, model and child are strangers, not representative of normal modelling that often takes place within the family with a role model (parent, sibling) -> aggression of adult towards doll is unlikely to be the type of aggression children may observe in the home, lowers the ecological validity into observation and imitation of aggression

Question 3

Bandura (1961) - Conclusion

Answer 3

AO3 ‹+› U.A. supports psychologists and social workers understanding the risk to a child’s development of violence if they witness it in the home, especially if the perp is a father with a young son

AO3 ‹-› used young children and exposed them to aggressive role models, encouraging them to act on their aggression (mild aggression arousal in stage 2) -> may have left the study in a different psychological state compared to when they entered (believe aggression is acceptable), breaches ethical guideline of protection (ethical issues)

Question 4

Bandura (1963) with Film-Mediated Models - Aim, Sample

Answer 4

• Whether a filmed model would have the same effect as a live model and to see whether cartoon aggression would have a similar impact
• 48m/48f
• Mean age = 4 years old
• Opportunity sample from Stanford University Nursery
• Matched pairs design with children rated on their pre-existing aggression using a 5 point scale

AO3 ‹+› used match pairs, reduced the impact of extraneous variable such as individual differences in pre-existing levels of aggression, can be more confident that imitated aggression is due to observing aggression, increases the internal validity

AO3 ‹-› only used 96 4 year old children, cannot generalise to older children or adults, reduces the population validity

AO3 ‹+›
AO3 ‹-›

Question 5

Bandura (1963) with Film-Mediated Models - Procedure, AO3

Answer 5

• Stage 1: children spent 10 mins in experiment room
  • Live aggression condition: watched an adult be aggressive towards a Bobo doll
  • Filmed realistic aggression condition: watched the same behaviour displayed on a screen
  • Cartoon aggression condition: watched a cartoon cat act aggressively towards a Bobo doll
  • Control condition: did not watch any aggression
• Stage 2: child subjected to ‘mild aggression arousal’, taken to a room and allowed to play with toys, after 2 mins was told they were reserved for other children
• Stage 3: left in a room for 20 mins with aggressive (mallet, gun) and non-aggressive toys (cars), noted behaviours every 5 secs (240 pieces of data)
• All conditions displayed increased aggression compared to control
  • Control = mean of 54
  • Live = mean of 83
  • Filmed = mean of 92
  • Cartoon = mean of 99

AO3 ‹+› standardised procedure (same toys, observed for 20 mins), replicable, researchers can check the reliability of the findings into imitative aggression

AO3 ‹-› standardised procedure had elements that cued the children on how to behave, one child arrived at the lab, saw the Bobo doll and said ‘Look mummy, there’s a doll we have to hit’, suggests that children believed they had to hit the doll (demand characteristics), less likely to reflect learned aggression, reduced validity

Question 6

Bandura (1963) with Film-Mediated Models - Conclusion

Answer 6

AO3 ‹+› U.A. guides parents to limit the exposure their children have to aggressive TV, more aware that children are more likely to imitate aggression seen in the home, development of watershed times for violence on TV

AO3 ‹-› used young children and exposed them to aggressive role models, encouraging them to act on their aggression (mild aggression arousal in stage 2) -> may have left the study in a different psychological state compared to when they entered (believe aggression is acceptable), breaches ethical guideline of protection (ethical issues)