Bobo doll experiment
Between 1961 and 1963, he studied children's behaviour after watching an adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll.
The Bobo doll experiment provides a template for understanding various aspects of human behavioral development.
These studies have practical implications, such as providing evidence of how children can be influenced by watching violent media.
The adult model was sitting in another corner with a toy set, a mallet, and an inflatable Bobo doll.
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."
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.
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.
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 final measure included modes of aggression shown by the child that were not directly imitating the role model's behaviour.
[5] The results concerning gender differences strongly satisfied Bandura's prediction that same-sex models have more influence over children.
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 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.
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.
An analysis of the study shows that reinforcement and punishment do not influence learned aggressive behavior, only the outward expression of it.
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.
