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This is a graded discussion: 20 points possible

due Apr 8

Discussion 3

11 unread reply.11 reply.

In Bandura’s social learning experiment with aggression and the Bobo doll, one group of preschool-age children watched a film of an adult playing aggressively with the Bobo doll, and another group of children watched a film of an adult playing calmly with Tinkertoys. Later, the children were led to feelings of frustration by being refused the opportunity to play with their favorite toy. Then the children were given access to the Bobo doll and the Tinkertoys. As predicted, the children modeled the behavior of the adult. Those who witnessed the aggressive model were more aggressive when playing, while those children who witnessed the less aggressive adult playing with the Tinkertoys were less aggressive when playing.

What are the implications of this study when considering children's viewing of television and video games? Do you agree with Bandura?

Answer 1

I agree with Bandura’s experimental findings wherein children modeled aggressive behaviours of adults and subsequently engaged in agressive play with their toys. A large amount of learning occurs not from our own direct experiences but by what we observe in the behaviours of others. Children are especially vulnerable to external influences given their age and propensity to learn. Video games are particularly fascinating for children and many children idealise video game characters and their virtual avatar. The promotion of violent content on this platform is very likely to be learned and imitated by children.