Aims of the study

Bandura aimed to investigate how children learn aggressive behaviour through observation and imitation of adult role models.

Specific aims:

• Investigate general imitation - To determine if children who observed aggressive behaviour from an adult role model would repeat similar aggressive acts in a different situation, where the role model was no longer present.
• Examine same-sex influence - To explore whether children were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour from a role model of the same sex, compared to one of the opposite sex.

Procedure of the study

Participants

The study involved 72 children aged between three and six years, with an equal number of boys (36) and girls (36).

Method and grouping

Children were divided into three main groups:

• Control group - These children did not observe any role model.
• Aggressive model group - Children watched an adult role model displaying aggressive behaviour.
• Non-aggressive model group - Children observed an adult role model behaving in non-aggressive ways.

Within the model groups, half the children saw a same-sex role model, and the other half saw an opposite-sex role model.

Key steps in the procedure:

1. Frustration phase - After observing the model, all children (including the control group) were put in a situation designed to frustrate them. This was to increase the likelihood of aggression being displayed.
2. Observation phase - Children were then moved to a final room where they were allowed to play and were observed by the experimenters using a one-way mirror.
3. Recording behaviour - Observers recorded the children's actions, focusing on aggressive acts that replicated the model's behaviour (both physical and verbal), other aggression, and non-aggressive behaviour.

Results of the study

Key findings:

• Imitation of aggressive models - Children who observed aggressive role models showed significantly more imitative aggression than those in the non-aggressive or control groups.
• Sex differences - Boys displayed higher levels of aggression overall compared to girls.

Summary of mean aggression scores

Conclusions from the study

Key conclusions:

• Observational learning without reinforcement - The study showed that children can learn and imitate specific aggressive acts simply by watching others, even without rewards or punishments.
• Normalisation of aggression - Children may interpret observed aggressive behaviour as acceptable, which could then encourage them to behave aggressively, because they do not think they will be punished.