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The Bobo doll experiment (or experiments) is the collective name for a series of experiments performed by psychologist Albert Bandura to test his social learning theory. Between 1961 and 1963, he studied children's behaviour after watching an adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll. [1] The most notable variation of the experiment measured the children's behavior after seeing the adult model rewarded, punished, or experience no consequence for physically abusing the Bobo doll. [2]
The social learning theory proposes that people learn largely through observation, imitation, and modelling. The Bobo doll experiment provides a template for understanding various aspects of human behavioral development. [3] It demonstrates that people learn not only by being rewarded or punished but they can also learn from watching someone else being rewarded or punished. These studies have practical implications, such as providing evidence of how children can be influenced by watching violent media. [2]
The participants in these experiments consisted of 72 children from the Stanford University nursery school between the ages of 37 months and 69 months. [4] For the experiments, a third of the children were exposed to an aggressive model. Another third were exposed to a non-aggressive model. The rest of the participants formed the control group.
For the experiment, each child was exposed to the scenario individually to avoid being influenced or distracted by classmates. The first part of the experiment involved bringing a child and an adult model into a playroom. In the playroom, the child was seated in one corner filled with appealing activities such as stickers and stamps. The adult model was sitting in another corner with a toy set, a mallet, and an inflatable Bobo doll. Before leaving the room, the experimenter explained to the child that the toys in the adult corner were only for the adult to play with.
During the aggressive model scenario, the adult would begin to play with the Bobo doll and then start to show aggressive behaviour towards the doll. Examples of this aggressive behaviour include hitting or punching the Bobo doll and using the toy mallet to hit the Bobo doll in the face. The aggressive model would also verbally assault the Bobo doll yelling, "Sock him," "Hit him down," "Kick him," "Throw him in the air," or "Pow." After about 10 minutes, the experimenter returned to the room, dismissed the adult model, and took the child into another playroom. The non-aggressive adult model simply played with other toys for the entire 10-minute period. In this situation, the model ignored the Bobo doll entirely; the child was taken out of the room.
The following experiment stage was performed with the child and experimenter in another room filled with interesting toys such as trucks, dolls, and a spinning top. The child was invited to play with them. After 2 minutes of playtime, the child was told they were no longer allowed to play with the toys because they were reserved for other children. This was done to build frustration. They were told they could instead play with the toys in the experimental room (the aggressive and non-aggressive toys). The child was allowed to play for 20 minutes in the experimental room while an experimenter evaluated the child's play.
The first measure recorded was based on physical aggression such as punching, kicking, sitting on the Bobo doll, hitting it with a mallet, and tossing it around the room. The second measure recorded was verbal aggression. The judges counted each time the children imitated the aggressive adult model and recorded their results. The third measure was the number of times the mallet was used to display other forms of aggression than hitting the doll. The final measure included modes of aggression shown by the child that were not directly imitating the role model's behaviour. [4]
Bandura found that the children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to pursue physically aggressive behaviour than those who were not exposed to the aggressive model. [5] The results concerning gender differences strongly satisfied Bandura's prediction that same-sex models have more influence over children. Results also showed that boys exhibited more aggression when exposed to aggressive male models than aggressive female models. While the results for the girls show similar findings, they were less drastic.
Bandura also found that the children exposed to the aggressive model were more likely to act in verbally aggressive ways than those who were not exposed to the aggressive model. The number of imitative verbal aggressions exhibited by the boys was much more than by the girls. [5] Additionally, the results indicated that the boys and girls who observed the non-aggressive model exhibited much less non-imitative aggression than those in the control group, which did not have a model. [6] Lastly, the evidence demonstrates that males tend to be more aggressive than females. When all instances of aggression were tallied, males exhibited 270 aggressive instances compared to 128 aggressive instances exhibited by females. [7]
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For his 1963 study, Albert Bandura wanted to vary his original 1961 study by seeing if there were any differences in imitated aggressive behaviour after witnessing a filmed or cartoon model compared to a live model. [8] He also wished to see if children watching aggressive behaviour from a filmed or cartoon model would experience a cathartic effect, or in other words, if they would experience a release of aggressive emotions from seeing a model carrying out aggressive behaviours. [9]
For the experiment, 96 children, 48 girls, and 48 boys, from the Stanford University nursery were divided into three groups. The first group watched a live model become aggressive towards a Bobo doll. The second group watched a movie version of the human model becoming aggressive toward a Bobo doll, and the third group watched a cartoon version of a cat becoming aggressive towards a Bobo doll. Each child watched the aggressive acts individually to control for group biases. Data from the original 1961 study was used for the control group where children did not view a model. After being exposed to their respective models, all three groups of children were then placed individually in a room with an experimenter. They were exposed to a mildly frustrating situation to elicit aggression. Next, the children were allowed to play freely in an adjoining room full of toys, including the Bobo doll and the "weapons" that the models used. The researchers observed the children and noted any interaction with the Bobo doll. [9]
The study results show that compared to the control group, all three groups showed similar increases in aggressive behaviour. From this, Bandura concluded that children would imitate aggressive behaviour they witness from a model regardless of who or how it is presented. He also found that watching aggressive behaviour does not cause a cathartic effect. The results of this study are of particular significance because of their contributions to the controversial topic of whether or not violent media can influence children to become more aggressive.
For his 1965 study, Albert Bandura wanted to see if children's learned behaviour would be influenced by vicarious reinforcement, or the act of imitating a behaviour observed in another person after witnessing that person be reinforced for said behaviour. [10] [11]
In the experiment, 66 children, 33 boys and 33 girls were divided into one of three groups. The first group would witness a model display aggressive behaviours toward a Bobo doll, followed by a researcher praising the model for his behaviour and rewarding him with candy. The second group would witness the same scripted scenario of aggressive behaviours, but the model was instead reprimanded for his actions and hit with a rolled wooden golf club. The third group served as the control group, and the model was neither rewarded nor punished after his displayed behaviour. The children would watch individually to control for group biases. Afterwards, each child would be placed individually in a room structured similarly to the one they saw for 10 minutes. Experimenters would score children based on the number and variation of aggressive behaviours they acted in. The experiment would be repeated a second time, and this time the children would be incentivized with various rewards including candy, juice, and stickers to mimic the behaviour they just witnessed. [12] [9]
The study showed little difference between the reward and control groups; however, the punishment group displayed much less aggressive behavior, especially girls. In all three groups, personal incentives substantially increased aggressive behavior for both boys and girls. An analysis of the study shows that reinforcement and punishment do not influence learned aggressive behavior, only the outward expression of it. [9]
This section needs expansionwith: further content sourced from high-quality secondary sources, to add to this unsourced material appearing heretofore only in the lead, that make clear the general conclusions that were drawn from the 1961-1965 studies, what long-term effect they have had, and how they relate to observational learning and social learning theory, integrating Bandura's books, currently omitted, in the discussion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2015) |
The findings of these experiments support the principles of social learning theory proposed by Bandura. His research found that behavior is influenced by observing the behavior of others and imitating it. [8] Central to this theory is the idea that the inclination to imitate behavior increases with the presence of an admirable model. Models are a crucial component to the learning of new behaviors and achieving change across different institutions, they drive individuals to shape their own behavior after the actions of models. [13] Unlike behaviorism, in which learning is directly influenced by reinforcement and punishment, social learning theory suggests that watching others be rewarded and punished can indirectly influence behavior. [14] This is known as vicarious reinforcement. If a model receives validation for exhibiting certain behaviors, someone who looks up to the model will be likelier to imitate those behaviors to receive the same validation. The role of vicarious reinforcement is shown through the Bobo Doll Experiment, which demonstrates how the behavior of adults easily influences children. [2] During the experiment, adults received praise for their aggressive behavior, and as a result, the likelihood of the children striking the doll increased. However, when adults were punished for behaving aggressively towards the doll, the children stopped hitting the doll. The Bobo Doll experiment enhanced people's understanding of the factors and issues that contribute to aggression. [15]
Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the relationship between mental states and social situations, studying the social conditions under which thoughts, feelings, and behaviors occur, and how these variables influence social interactions.
Observational learning is learning that occurs through observing the behavior of others. It is a form of social learning which takes various forms, based on various processes. In humans, this form of learning seems to not need reinforcement to occur, but instead, requires a social model such as a parent, sibling, friend, or teacher with surroundings. Particularly in childhood, a model is someone of authority or higher status in an environment. In animals, observational learning is often based on classical conditioning, in which an instinctive behavior is elicited by observing the behavior of another, but other processes may be involved as well.
Albert Bandura was a Canadian-American psychologist. He was a professor of social science in psychology at Stanford University.
bangladeshss social behavior which proposes that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. Albert Bandura is known for studying this theory. It states that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context and can occur purely through observation or direct instruction, even in the absence of motor reproduction or direct reinforcement. In addition to the observation of behavior, learning also occurs through the observation of rewards and punishments, a process known as vicarious reinforcement. When a particular behavior is rewarded regularly, it will most likely persist; conversely, if a particular behavior is constantly punished, it will most likely desist. The theory expands on traditional behavioral theories, in which behavior is governed solely by reinforcements, by placing emphasis on the important roles of various internal processes in the learning individual.
Imitation is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our culture. It allows for the transfer of information between individuals and down generations without the need for genetic inheritance." The word imitation can be applied in many contexts, ranging from animal training to politics. The term generally refers to conscious behavior; subconscious imitation is termed mirroring.
Norms are concepts (sentences) of practical import, oriented to affecting an action, rather than conceptual abstractions that describe, explain, and express. Normative sentences imply "ought-to" types of statements and assertions, in distinction to sentences that provide "is" types of statements and assertions. Common normative sentences include commands, permissions, and prohibitions; common normative abstract concepts include sincerity, justification, and honesty. A popular account of norms describes them as reasons to take action, to believe, and to feel.
Behavior modification is a treatment approach that uses respondent and operant conditioning to change behavior. Based on methodological behaviorism, overt behavior is modified with (antecedent) stimulus control and consequences, including positive and negative reinforcement contingencies to increase desirable behavior, administering positive and negative punishment, and extinction to reduce problematic behavior. It also uses "flooding" desensitization to combat phobias.
Reciprocal determinism is the theory set forth by psychologist Albert Bandura which states that a person's behavior both influences and is influenced by personal factors and the social environment. Bandura accepts the possibility that an individual's behavior may be conditioned through the use of consequences. At the same time he asserts that a person's behavior can impact the environment.
The study of violence in mass media analyzes the degree of correlation between themes of violence in media sources with real-world aggression and violence over time. Many social scientists support the correlation, however, some scholars argue that media research has methodological problems and that findings are exaggerated. Other scholars have suggested that the correlation exists, but can be unconventional to the current public belief.
Social learning is learning that takes place at a wider scale than individual or group learning, up to a societal scale, through social interaction between peers.
Social cognitive theory (SCT), used in psychology, education, and communication, holds that portions of an individual's knowledge acquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and outside media influences. This theory was advanced by Albert Bandura as an extension of his social learning theory. The theory states that when people observe a model performing a behavior and the consequences of that behavior, they remember the sequence of events and use this information to guide subsequent behaviors. Observing a model can also prompt the viewer to engage in behavior they already learned. Depending on whether people are rewarded or punished for their behavior and the outcome of the behavior, the observer may choose to replicate behavior modeled. Media provides models for a vast array of people in many different environmental settings.
Modeling is:
Behavioral contagion is a form of social contagion involving the spread of behavior through a group. It refers to the propensity for a person to copy a certain behavior of others who are either in the vicinity, or whom they have been exposed to. The term was originally used by Gustave Le Bon in his 1895 work The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind to explain undesirable aspects of behavior of people in crowds. In the digital age, behavioral contagion is also concerned with the spread of online behavior and information. A variety of behavioral contagion mechanisms were incorporated in models of collective human behavior.
The frustration–aggression hypothesis, also known as the frustration–aggression–displacement theory, is a theory of aggression proposed by John Dollard, Neal Miller, Leonard Doob, Orval Mowrer, and Robert Sears in 1939, and further developed by Neal Miller in 1941 and Leonard Berkowitz in 1969. The theory says that aggression is the result of blocking, or frustrating, a person's efforts to attain a goal.
A social experiment is a method of psychological or sociological research that observes people's reactions to certain situations or events. The experiment depends on a particular social approach where the main source of information is the participants' point of view and knowledge. To carry out a social experiment, specialists usually split participants into two groups — active participants and respondents. Throughout the experiment, specialists monitor participants to identify the effects and differences resulting from the experiment. A conclusion is then created based on the results. Intentional communities are generally considered social experiments.
Cultural group selection is an explanatory model within cultural evolution of how cultural traits evolve according to the competitive advantage they bestow upon a group. This multidisciplinary approach to the question of human culture engages research from the fields of anthropology, behavioural economics, evolutionary biology, evolutionary game theory, sociology, and psychology.
Social determinism is the theory that social interactions alone determine individual behavior.
Gender roles are culturally influenced stereotypes which create expectations for appropriate behavior for males and females. An understanding of these roles is evident in children as young as age four. Children between 3 and 6 months can form distinctions between male and female faces. By ten months, infants can associate certain objects with females and males, like a hammer with males or scarf with females. Gender roles are influenced by the media, family, the environment, and society. In addition to biological maturation, children develop within a set of gender-specific social and behavioral norms embedded in family structure, natural play patterns, close friendships, and the teeming social jungle of school life. The gender roles encountered in childhood play a large part in shaping an individual's self-concept and influence the way an individual forms relationships later on in life.
Dolf Zillmann is dean emeritus, and professor of information sciences, communication and psychology at the University of Alabama (UA). Zillmann predominantly conducted research in media psychology, a branch of psychology focused on the effects of media consumption on human affect, developing and expanding a range of theories within media psychology and communication. His work centred on the relation between aggression, emotion, and arousal through media consumption, predominantly in pornography and violent genres of movie and television. His research also includes the effects of music consumption, video games, and sports.
Dorothea Mary Ross was a Canadian-American psychologist and pioneer in the field of pediatric psychology. Ross is best known for her work on social learning at Stanford University in the early 1960s where, together with Albert Bandura and her sister, Sheila Ross, she demonstrated that children learn aggressive behavior through modeling and imitation. Ross was also one of the founders of the Society of Pediatric Psychology.