Bandura’s “Bobo Doll”
Instructions:
After reading the required resources, answer the following questions:
- What is the Bandura’s “Bobo Doll” studies about?
- Argue about your position related to Bandura’s “Bobo Doll” studies. Do you agree with Bandura’s postures? Explain your answer.
Remember to review the academic expectations for your submission.
Submission Instructions:
- Submit your initial discussion post by 11:59 PM Eastern on Wednesday.
- Contribute a minimum of 150 words for your initial post. It should include at least 1 academic source, formatted and cited in APA.
- Respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussion posts by 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday. Ask a question, and provide a different viewpoint.
Bandura’s “Bobo Doll” studies are a series of experiments conducted in the early 1960s that aimed to investigate the social learning theory, specifically focusing on the concept of observational learning or modeling. The study involved children observing an adult model engaging in aggressive behavior towards a Bobo doll, which is an inflatable toy. Bandura and his colleagues were interested in understanding how observing aggressive behavior influenced the subsequent behavior of children.
In these studies, children were exposed to different scenarios where they observed an adult model either engaging in aggressive behavior towards the Bobo doll, non-aggressive behavior, or no behavior at all. The researchers then observed the children’s behavior when they were given the opportunity to interact with the Bobo doll. They found that children who observed the aggressive model were more likely to imitate the aggressive behavior they had witnessed compared to those who observed non-aggressive or no behavior.
As for my position on Bandura’s “Bobo Doll” studies, I largely agree with his postures. The studies provide compelling evidence for the role of observational learning in shaping behavior, particularly when it comes to aggression. Observational learning is a fundamental aspect of human behavior, and Bandura’s research shed light on how individuals acquire new behaviors and attitudes through observing others. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that the studies have also faced criticism, particularly regarding their generalizability to real-world situations and the potential oversimplification of complex social behaviors. Despite these criticisms, Bandura’s work remains foundational in understanding the mechanisms underlying social learning.
Reference: Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045925