The Bobo Experiment
The Bobo Experiment was performed in 1961 by Albert Bandura to try and prove that people, especially children, learn their social skills and behaviors from copying or mimicking adults in their lives rather than through heredity genes. Bandura wanted to show, by using aggressive and non-aggressive adult-actors, that a child would be apt to replicate and learn from the behavior of a trusted adult (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
These issues have been present for many years, even before the media used these factors as selling points for newspapers. During the 1960’s, there was several concerns and debates about how children developed whether it be from genetics, environmental factors, or social interactions. For this reason, Bandura created the Bobo Doll Experiment to prove that children are taught from the adults in their lives through role-modeling (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
Bandura had several hypotheses about the results of the Bobo Doll Experiment that were appropriate with his vision on the concepts of social learning (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
1. Children observing an adult role model operating in an overly hostile manner would be likely to replicate similar behavior themselves, even if the adult was not there (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
2. Subjects who had witnessed a non-aggressive adult would be less likely to show violent inclinations, even if the adult was not present. They would be even less likely to exhibit this kind of aggression than the control group of children, who had seen no role model at all (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
3. Bandura believed that children would be much more expected to mimic the behavior of a role model of the same sex. He wanted to show that it was much easier for a child to recognize and relate with an adult of the same gender (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
4. Bandura’s last prediction was that boys would tend to be more aggressive than girls, because society has always endured and promoted violent behavior in men more than women
These issues have been present for many years, even before the media used these factors as selling points for newspapers. During the 1960’s, there was several concerns and debates about how children developed whether it be from genetics, environmental factors, or social interactions. For this reason, Bandura created the Bobo Doll Experiment to prove that children are taught from the adults in their lives through role-modeling (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
Bandura had several hypotheses about the results of the Bobo Doll Experiment that were appropriate with his vision on the concepts of social learning (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
1. Children observing an adult role model operating in an overly hostile manner would be likely to replicate similar behavior themselves, even if the adult was not there (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
2. Subjects who had witnessed a non-aggressive adult would be less likely to show violent inclinations, even if the adult was not present. They would be even less likely to exhibit this kind of aggression than the control group of children, who had seen no role model at all (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
3. Bandura believed that children would be much more expected to mimic the behavior of a role model of the same sex. He wanted to show that it was much easier for a child to recognize and relate with an adult of the same gender (Shuttleworth, M. 2008).
4. Bandura’s last prediction was that boys would tend to be more aggressive than girls, because society has always endured and promoted violent behavior in men more than women
References: Shuttleworth, M. (2008). The Bobo doll experiment. (pp. 1-1). Experiment-Resources.com. Retrieved July 10, 2009, from Experiment-Resources.com. http://www.experiment-resources.com/bobo-doll-experiment.html#ixzz0KuMD9ZEw&C