Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961)

Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models Bandura (1961)

How do we learn? • Piaget links learning to Nature (we naturally develop abilities) • Behaviourists link learning to Nurture • So who are “Behaviourists”? Bandura (1961)

What is Behaviourism? • Emerged in early 1900s as response to “introspective” approach of early psychology • Belief behaviour is LEARNED from environment • American psychologist JOHN B WATSON (1876-1958) • Introspection is PRIVATE but Watson thought science should be based on OBSERVABLE DATA (eg. Behaviour, not thoughts!) Bandura (1961)

Operant Conditioning • B F Skinner (1904-1990) • Changing/adapting behaviour to produce a result • eg. Rat in Skinner box • Accidentally presses bar • Gets food • Presses bar again • Rat has LEARNT  pressing bar gives them food • Food = a REINFORCER (makes behaviour more likely) Bandura (1961)

Reinforcement • POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT • Performing a certain act leads to pleasant results (eg. food) • NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT • Performing act  avoidance of unpleasant consequences (eg. stopping an electric shock) Bandura (1961)

Behaviourist Assumptions • Simple associations are the “building blocks” of all learning • Learning is better explained by external factors (nurture, environment) than internal ones (nature, innate intelligence) • Laws of learning are the same for all species (rats or humans!) • BUT… Bandura (1961)

Behaviourist Criticisms • Human behaviour is too complex – can’t learn ALL behaviour by trial & error • Reinforcement is not ALWAYS important in learning (eg. we learn some things that aren’t reinforced) • There must be an internal mental process at work – we learn so quickly and children “pick up” behaviours not specifically taught Bandura (1961)

So how DO we learn? • Operant conditioning explains some learning • But what about complex human behaviour? • eg. Language acquisition • eg. Aggressive behaviour Bandura (1961)

The Behaviourist Approach We learn by DOING things ourselves Learning is understood by observing VISIBLE processes (eg behaviour) We learn only behaviour that is reinforced BEHAVIOURIST “CONDITIONING” Bandura (1961)

Introducing Albert Bandura • Albert Bandura proposes we learn through IMITATION or MODELLING • “Observational (or Vicarious) Learning” • This explain the SPEED of learning in young children (no need for trial-and-error) Bandura (1961)

Social Learning Approach We learn by WATCHING others do things We need to study invisible mental processes as well – behaviour is internalised! We can learn without reinforcement SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY Bandura (1961)

Bandura’s study • METHOD: Laboratory experiment (Stanford Univ. nursery school) • PARTICIPANTS: 36 boys & 36 girls, aged 3-6 • DESIGN: Participants MATCHED on levels of aggression (based on observation by teachers) Bandura (1961)

Bandura’s hypotheses • Ps exposed to aggressive models  reproduce aggressive acts resembling those of the models • Observing non-aggressive models  generalised inhibiting effect on Ps’ behaviour (ie. less aggressive than controls) • More imitation of same-sex model • Boys more likely than girls to imitate aggression Bandura (1961)

Experimental conditions • Children witness an aggressive model • Children witness a non-aggressive model • Control group (no model) • In some conditions the model is male, in some female • IV: Aggressive / non-aggressive model • DV: Imitative learning (eg. aggressive behaviour) Bandura (1961)

Procedure • Ps tested individually, taken to experimental room, settled in corner with activities (stickers, potato printing) • Model in other corner with toys, mallet + 5ft BOBO DOLL • Non-aggressive model ignored Bobo and played with toys (quiet, subdued) • Aggressive model spent 1min with toys then aggressive with Bobo • Physical – hit with mallet, threw in air, sat on it • Verbal – “Pow!” “Sock it to him” • Sequence repeated 3 times over 9 minutes Bandura (1961)

Procedure (cont’d) • After 10mins, Ps taken to AROUSAL ROOM in groups of 6 • Shown attractive toys • Told they were reserved for other children • Taken to observation room: variety of non-aggressive toys (crayons) and aggressive toys (dart gun) + 3ft BOBO DOLL • 20mins in room – observed through 1-way mirror • 2 observers – inter-rater reliability Bandura (1961)

Results • Ps scored on 8 categories of behaviour – imitative & non-imitative • Exposure of Ps to aggressive model INCREASES PROBABILITY of aggressive behaviour • Boys reproduced MORE imitative physical aggression than girls (but NOT more imitative verbal aggression) • Non-aggressive male model had MORE EFFECT than non-aggressive female model • Ps exposed to non-aggressive model spent more than TWICE AS MUCH TIME sitting quietly than those in the aggressive condition Bandura (1961)

Conclusions • Findings suggest conditioning is NOT main/only means of learning – OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING elicits behaviour too • Complex behaviour can be learnt without each “bit” being separately reinforced (as Skinner thought) • Behaviours are SOCIALLY SEX-TYPED (eg. physical aggression is a “male” response) • Aggression can be learned regardless of HOME RELATIONSHIPS or environment, merely by observation (NB. TV violence!) Bandura (1961)

Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961)