See Aggression Do Aggression by Appi and Ian

See Aggression. . . Do Aggression by Appi and Ian

Background • • • Albert Bandura, Dorothea Ross and Sheila Ross. Wanted to test the idea of learning being the primary factor shaping personality. Four hypotheses regarding imitating aggression, imitating nonaggression, imitating same-sex adults, and males being predisposed to higher aggression.

Methods • • • 36 boys and 36 girls (3 -6 yrs) individually watch a male or female adult model either beat up and yell at a Bobo doll in anger, or do nothing. Children are placed in a similar room with the same toys and are angered. The experimenters watch and rate the children in terms of aggression.

Conclusions • • Children imitated the acts of aggression they saw almost identically. Children who were given non-aggressive models showed much less aggression. Same-sex models had a greater influence on the aggression of boys than it did on girls. Boys were significantly more aggressive than girls.

Historical Significance • • Demonstrated how children can acquire new behaviors by observation of adults. o Social learning theorists say that most behaviors relating to personality are formed through this process. Foundation for countless later studies about the influence of viewing violence in the media and in person on children.

Critiques Critics: Bobo Doll = Real Person? Fake aggression = Real aggression? Hanratty, O'Neil, & Sulzer, 1972: Children exposed to aggression to dolls later often aggressed against live people, even if the person wasn't the source of frustration.

Recent Applications Violence in the media: U. S. Congress has held hearings on media violence. Further research shows that effects of seeing media violence as a child last into adulthood. Broadcasters have tried to put parental advisory ratings or lower media violence. • • •