Question

In regards to Bandura's study in 1961...

a) Describe how the sex of the model affected the aggressive behavior of the male children (Bandura calls them “male subjects”).

b) Describe how the sex of the model affected the aggressive behavior of the female children (“female subjects”).

Answer 1

Bandura's study on immitative learning of aggressive behavior in children was part of his famous Bobo doll experiments.The study had 36 girls and 36 boys as participants grom ages 3 to 6. They were divided into equal groups - one which was exposed to agressive actions of an adult model towards a bobo doll, one control group and the third group which observed an adult who was not aggressive.

The results found that

1) male subjects showed more aggressive and non aggressive imitation when the role model was a male than if it was a female

2)Female subjects showed more imitative verbal aggression when role model was a female and more physical aggression when role model was a male.