3 Core study Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models

1. 3 Core studyTransmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models Albert Bandura, Dorothea Ross and Sheila A. Ross

2. Aim • to see if imitated behaviour would be displayed in new settings

3. Background • Bandura and Huston (1961) found that children imitated behaviour exhibited by an adult model.

4. Hypotheses • Subjects exposed to aggressive models would reproduce aggressive acts resembling those of their models. • Observation of non-aggressive models would inhibit aggressive behaviour. • Subjects will imitate the behaviour of a same- sex model more than model of the opposite sex. • Boys would display more aggression than girls.

5. Method • laboratory experiment with controlled observation

6. Independent variables • whether children observe model or not • whether children observe aggressive or not aggressive model • whether children observe same or opposite sex model • gender of child

7. Dependent variables (1) • Number of aggressive acts • imitation of physical aggression • e.g. striking Bobo with mallet • imitative verbal aggression • e.g. saying ‘Sock him!’ • imitative non-aggressive verbal responses • e.g. saying ‘He sure is a tough fella.’ • sitting on Bobo doll • sits on Bobo doll but is not aggressive with it

8. Dependent variables (2) • mallet aggression • e.g. striking object other than Bobo doll with mallet • non-imitative aggression • e.g. punches Bobo doll • non-imitative physical and verbal aggression • aggressive gun play • Number of the times they were observed (behaviour units) in which children played non-aggressively or sat quietly and did not play at all.

9. Participants • 72 children from Stanford University nursery school • 36 boys and 36 girls • age range 37–69 months • mean age 52 months

10. Procedure • Children were observed in nursery by a male model and a teacher and given an aggression rating on physical and verbal aggressions, aggressive inhibition and aggression toward inanimate objects. • Children were divided into eight groups of 6 plus a control group of 24. • They were matched on age, gender and aggression rating.

11. Stage 1 10 minutes • Children in experimental group were taken by an adult to a room and invited by role model to come in and play. • The child was sat at a table with potato prints and stickers. • Model was taken to corner of room with the Bobo doll (5 foot), mallet and a tinker toy.

12. Stage 1 cont (1) • In the non-aggressive condition • the adult played with the tinker toys.

13. Stage 1 cont (2) • In aggressive condition • the adult began assembling tinker toys • after one minute the adult began being aggressive with Bobo doll: • three repetitions of • laying Bobo doll down, sitting on it and hitting its nose • raising Bobo up and hitting it with the mallet • throwing Bobo up and kicking it around the room • this was interspersed with verbally aggressive responses • ‘Sock him in the nose’, ‘Kick him’, ‘He sure is a tough fella’.

14. Stage 2 2 minutes approximately • The child was taken by experimenter to a second room. • There were lots of attractive toys: • fire engine, doll set, jet fighter plane, doll’s pram • Child was told by experimenter he/she could play. • As soon as child involved, the experimenter told child they were best toys and they were reserved for other children.

15. Stage 3 20 minutes • The child was taken to room not in nursery with variety of toys: • e.g. Bobo doll (3 foot), mallet, dart gun, tea set, crayons, farm animals. • Child was observed through one-way mirror every 5 seconds by male model and one other researcher.

16. Results Hypothesis 1 • Subjects exposed to aggressive models produced significantly more aggressive acts than non-aggressive and control groups.

17. Results Hypothesis 2 • Boys who observed non-aggressive models produced significantly less aggression than control group boys. • No significant differences for girls • Subjects in non-aggressive condition showed significantly more non-aggressive play with dolls than either aggressive or control. • Subjects in non-aggressive condition spend more than twice as much time sitting quietly and not playing than in the aggressive condition.

18. Results Hypothesis 3 • Subjects did imitate the behaviour of same-sex model more than model of opposite sex. • Boys showed more imitation of male models • Girls showed more imitative verbal and more non-imitative aggression of female models.

19. Results Hypothesis 4 • Boys did display more imitative physical aggression than girls. • No difference in verbal aggression • Boys played significantly more with guns and less with tea set, dolls and colouring.

20. Conclusions • Subjects exposed to aggressive models did reproduce aggressive acts resembling those of their models. • Observation of non-aggressive models did inhibit aggressive behaviour. • Subjects did generally imitate the behaviour of same-sex model more than model of opposite sex. However, both boys and girls imitated male model’s aggression more than female model’s aggression. • Boys did display more physical aggression than girls.

21. Controls • Adults • One male and one female served the role of model. • One experimenter conducted the study of 72 children. • Toys • All toys in stage 3 were arranged in a fixed order. • Observation • Inter-rater reliability of observers was checked by correlation. • There was a one-way mirror. • Blind condition: observers didn’t know the condition the child was in (apart from male model in cases where he was model).