Pt1420 Unit 8

Part 1
Write a short piece summarising and interpreting the information presented in the table.
Part 1 – Summarising and Interpreting a Table

This table summarises the results from Banduras experiment on whether children be aggressive to a Bobo Doll when they have witnessed a model being aggressive. The children were exposed to either a real life model, a human model on film or a non gendered cartoon model. As well as these experimental conditions there was also a control group of children who did not witness any model.
The table shows the average amount of imitative aggression shown in each experimental condition. The highest amount of aggression was shown but the boys after witnessing a Male real life model. The boys, on average, also showed the most aggression throughout
all the experimental conditions. The lowest level of aggression was shown by the girls in the control conditions. The female film model aggression was the only condition that was higher than the real model for the boys and by only a slight amount. The control condition aggression level is lower than all other experimental conditions. There is a clear trend in aggression when shown a real life model. Both the boys and the girls showed the highest level of aggression when witnessing a real life model. However the girls were more aggressive when it was a female model and the boys more aggressive when it was a male model.
It is clear from the table that the children imitated aggression from all the models but especially when exposed to the real-life model.
Part 2
Prepare a two page report in the form of a handout for a parenting class. Prepare an account of how Bandura’s research on modelling aggression can help parents understand how children imitate aggression behaviours.
Part 2 - Behaviour and Social Learning Report
Most parents understand the importance that behaviour plays in their children’s life. Television, games, music and even food have all been used as reasons for children growing up to commit aggression in their adult life. Throughout the years the media have reported extreme cases of children showing aggressive behaviour and given various reasons for these behaviours. In 1961, a scientist named Albert Bandura performed an experiment called the Bobo Doll Experiment to try and understand these behaviours better. His aim was to show all behaviour was learned through imitation and copying rather than inherited through genes. Below is a description of how the experiment was carried out, with detail of the results obtained and how these results can be useful in the parenting of your
child.
Bandura’s experiment was carried out using 72 children which he split into three identical groups with equal number of boys and girls. He used an adult as a “role model” for the children and had the adult perform different aggressive behaviours towards a toy Bobo doll.
Figure 1: Bandura’s Experiment Set up
72 Children
24 witness aggressive role Model
24 witness non-aggressive role model
24 witness no role model (control group)
Female Role Model
Male Role Model
Female Role Model
Male Role Model
No Role Model
6 Boys
6 Girls
6 Boys
6
Girls
6
Boys
6 Girls
6
Boys
6
Girls
6 boys
6 girls

He then had the role model removed and observed the children’s behaviour to the bobo doll, after witnessing the different experimental scenarios as detailed above in Figure 1. From his observations, it was clear the children imitated the behaviour of the adult. It also showed how the children reacted to different adults depending on their sex.
The results have been summarised in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Experiment Results Summary
Children observing an aggressive model act in a generally more aggressive way, while children with a non-aggressive model act in a generally less aggressive way
Boys imitate aggression more than girls
Boys showed more aggression if the model was male rather than if the model was female
Girls showed more physical aggression if the model was male but more verbal aggression if the model was female.
He also set up a similar experiment to investigate whether children would only imitate human behaviour or if they would also imitate an animation acting aggressively. He performed the experiment in a similar way except he replaced the human model with a non gendrered cartoon model on a tv. Interestingly the children were more likely to imitate the human model than the cartoon model.

From Bandura’s study it can be concluded that children learn aggression through imitation. The children in the study showed clear signs of vicarious learning meaning they were able to learn behaviours through observation and reproduce these behaviours. The male children were more likely to be aggressive and the male models had the greatest influence on the children. The boys engaged in more than twice as many acts of aggression than the girls. However the girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression. In contrast, the subjects who were exposed to the non aggressive model rarely performed any aggression to the doll and if any aggression was shown it was primarily from the boys.
This research has allowed us to understand further how children learn and behave in certain situations and how children understand gender roles. This can be useful as a parent and can help you understand how your child will learn, imitate and develop their behaviours.
References
Brace, N. and Byford, J. (2012) Investigating Psychology, Oxford, Oxford University Press/Milton Keynes, The Open University.
McLeod, S. A. (2011). Bobo Doll Experiment. http://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html (Accessed 10 April 2014)

Part 3
What did you find most challenging about completing this assignment? What do you think you could do differently for the next assignment?

Part 3 – Reflection
I found prioritising my time difficult when completing this assignment. It was difficult to get used to essay writing again but once I organised myself it became a lot easier. I struggled with a family emergency during this assignment and had to request and extension but I will organise myself more in advance and make more time for writing to help me in my next assignments.

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