
For this purpose, Bandura designed the Bobo Doll Experiment
Bobo doll experiment
The Bobo doll experiment was the collective name of experiments conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961 and 1963 when he studied children's behavior after watching an adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll. There are different variations of the experiment.
What is the Bobo doll experiment?
The initial study, along with Bandura’s follow-up research, would later be known as the Bobo doll experiment. The experiment revealed that children imitate the aggressive behavior of adults.
What was Bandura’s second experiment?
In 1963, Bandura conducted a second experiment which replicated many aspects of the previous study. However, instead of observing an adult’s violent behavior firsthand, they watched a video of the Bobo doll being struck.
What is the Bandura Ross and Ross experiment?
Bandura et al (1961) Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) devised an experiment in which participants would observe an adult behaving in a violent manner towards a Bobo doll toy.
How many children were involved in the Bobo experiment?
For the experiment, 96 children, 48 girls and 48 boys, from the Stanford University nursery were divided into three groups. The first group watched a live model become aggressive towards a Bobo doll.

What was the purpose of the Bobo doll experiment?
Bobo doll experiment, groundbreaking study on aggression led by psychologist Albert Bandura that demonstrated that children are able to learn through the observation of adult behaviour.
Why did Bandura use a Bobo doll?
Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children are able to learn social behavior such as aggression through the process of observation learning, through watching the behavior of another person. The findings support Bandura's (1977) Social Learning Theory.
How the Bobo doll experiment influenced Bandura's findings?
The initial study, along with Bandura's follow-up research, would later be known as the Bobo doll experiment. The experiment revealed that children imitate the aggressive behavior of adults. The findings support Bandura's social learning theory, which emphasises the influence of observational learning on behavior.
When did Bandura do the Bobo doll experiment?
The Bobo doll experiment was conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961 [1] and studied patterns of behavior associated with aggression. Additional studies of this type were conducted by Bandura in 1963 [2] and 1965.
How did the Bobo doll experiment challenge the ideas of behaviorism?
Children who were exposed to a non-aggressive adult or no model at all had far less aggression toward Bobo. Bandura's findings challenged the widely accepted behaviorist view that rewards and punishments are essential to learning. He suggested that people could learn by observing and imitating others' behavior.
What is the main idea of social learning theory?
Social learning theory proposes that individuals learn by observing the behaviors of others (models). They then evaluate the effect of those behaviors by observing the positive and negative consequences that follow.
How did Bandura demonstrate the existence of observational learning in the famous Bobo doll study?
How did Bandura demonstrate the existence of observational learning in the famous "Bobo" doll study? Showed that children would model an adult they saw in a film. Reciprocal determination refers to a continuous back and forth interaction between: A person.
How did Bandura demonstrate the existence of observational learning in the famous Bobo doll study?
How did Bandura demonstrate the existence of observational learning in the famous "Bobo" doll study? Showed that children would model an adult they saw in a film. Reciprocal determination refers to a continuous back and forth interaction between: A person.
What was the major finding from the Bobo doll experiment quizlet?
Results: - Showed that all children showed some level of aggression towards the bobo doll. - Group that observed violence or aggression showed more aggressive compared to the others. -Next was control group and lastly, the passive group showed least aggression.
What was a key finding of the Bobo doll experiment quizlet?
What was a key finding of the Bobo doll experiment? Reprimanding the adult for her aggressive behavior slightly reduced the children's aggressive behavior.
What is an explanation for why the children in Bandura's 1961 study did not imitate the behaviour of the female model when she was bashing the Bobo?
What is an explanation for why the children in Bandura's 1961 study did not imitate the behaviour of the female model when she was bashing the Bobo? She reminded them of their mothers. The women only engaged in verbal aggression and most of the children were too young to understand.
What did Bandura's Bobo doll experiments show?
The findings of Bandura’s Bobo doll experiments remain influential in the study of learning and aggression. His research furthered our understanding of how children learn from their parents, siblings and friends through imitation. It also provided early evidence that violence in films and other media can negatively influence viewers' behavior.
What is the Bobo doll experiment?
The initial study, along with Bandura’s follow-up research, would later be known as the Bobo doll experiment. The experiment revealed that children imitate the aggressive behavior of adults. The findings support Bandura’s social learning theory, which emphasises the influence of observational learning on behavior.
What did Bandura conclude about vicarious reinforcement?
He concluded that vicarious reinforcement, as well as direct rewards and punishments, can impact on an observer’s behavior.
What does Bandura argue about observational learning?
Bandura argues that through observational learning, an individual may imitate the behavior of others. Furthermore, when a person sees another individual being punished or rewarded for their actions, their evaluation of the behavior will be further influenced, even if their own behavior has not been reinforced directly.
What did Albert Bandura's experiment reveal?
The experiment revealed that children imitate the aggressive behavior of adults. The findings support Bandura’s social learning theory, which emphasises the influence of observational learning on behavior.
What did Bandura see as the reductionist?
Bandura viewed such conditioning as being reductionist in its understanding of human learning as a simple process of acquiring new ‘responses’ to stimuli. Instead, he turned his attention to the imitative behavior of children who watch, and then attempt to copy, the behavior of others.
What type of reinforcement did Skinner use to encourage and discourage behavior?
In a third study, Bandura tested whether the types of reinforcement that Skinner had used to encourage and discourage behavior (operant conditioning) would influence the behavior of an observer who witnessed a third party being rewarded or punished for his or her actions.
Who led the Bobo doll experiment?
Bobo doll experiment, groundbreaking study on aggression led by psychologist Albert Bandura that demonstrated that children are able to learn through the observation of adult behaviour.
Who was the first person to conduct the Bobo doll experiment?
Albert Bandura: The Bobo doll experiment. In 1961 Bandura carried out his famous Bobo doll experiment, a study in which researchers physically and verbally abused... The three groups were then divided by gender into six subgroups in which half of the subgroups would observe a same-sex behaviour model and half would observe an opposite-sex behaviour ...
Who was the first person to use a clown face toy?
Learn More in these related Britannica articles: Albert Bandura: The Bobo doll experiment. In 1961 Bandura carried out his famous Bobo doll experiment, a study in which researchers physically and verbally abused a clown-faced inflatable toy in front of preschool-age children, which led the children to later mimic the behaviour ...
What did the Bobo doll experiment show?
Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children are able to learn social behavior such as aggression through the process of observation learning, through watching the behavior of another person. The findings support Bandura's (1977) Social Learning Theory.
What is the purpose of the Bandura experiment?
Bandura (1961) conducted a controlled experiment study to investigate if social behaviors (i.e., aggression) can be acquired by observation and imitation.
What did Cumberbatch find about Bobo dolls?
Cumberbatch (1990) found that children who had not played with a Bobo Doll before were five times as likely to imitate the aggressive behavior than those who were familiar with it; he claims that the novelty value of the doll makes it more likely that children will imitate the behavior.
What is the term for the observation of behavior?
An observer's behavior can also be affected by the positive or negative consequences of a model's behavior. So we not only watch what people do, but we watch what happens when they do things. This is known as vicarious reinforcement. We are more likely to imitate behavior that is rewarded and refrain from behavior that is punished.
How many points did the researchers use to test the aggression of a child?
The researchers pre-tested the children for how aggressive they were by observing the children in the nursery and judged their aggressive behavior on four 5-point rating scales.
Why are psychologists critical of laboratory studies of imitation?
Many psychologists are very critical of laboratory studies of imitation - in particular because they tend to have low ecological validity. The situation involves the child and an adult model, which is a very limited social situation and there is no interaction between the child and the model at any point; certainly the child has no chance to influence the model in any way. Also, the model and the child are strangers. This, of course, is quite unlike 'normal' modeling, which often takes place within the family.
Can experiments be replicated?
3. Experiments can be replicated. Standardized procedures and instructions were used, allowing for replicability. In fact, the study has been replicated with slight changes, such as using video and similar results were found (Bandura, 1963).
What did Bandura observe about the Bobo doll?
Bandura observed that the children who saw the model receiving a punishment were less likely to be aggressive toward the doll. A second observation was especially interesting. When researchers asked the child to act aggressively toward the Bobo doll, like they did in the movie, the children did.
What was the Bobo doll experiment?
The Bobo Doll Experiment was a study conducted by Albert Bandura to investigate is social behaviors can be learned by observing others in the action. In the hit television show, Big Little Lies, tensions run high as an unknown child is accused of choking another student.
What did the models do to the Bobo doll?
One group witnessed an adult punching the Bobo doll repeatedly and using harsh and aggressive language against the inflatable clown. Some models chose to hit the Bobo Doll over the head with a mallet.
What did Bandura show children?
In this experiment, Bandura showed children a video of a model acting aggressively toward the Bobo doll. Three groups of children individually observed a different final scene in the video. The children in the control group did not see any scene other than the model hitting the Bobo doll. In another group, the children observed the model getting a reward for their actions. The last group saw the model getting punished and warned not to act aggressively toward the Bobo doll.
What is Theodore's goal?
His goal is to help people improve their lives by understanding how their brains work. 1,700,000 Youtube subscribers and a growing team of psychologists, the dream continues strong!
How did the children learn behavior?
By watching the model and observing their actions, the children did learn the behavior. Learning (aka remembering) the model’s actions occurred simply because the children were there to observe them. Consequences simply influenced whether or not the children decided to perform the learned behaviors.
Who was the first person to use a Bobo doll?
In 1961, Canadian-American psychologist Albert Bandura conducted this experiment at Stanford University. He placed children in a room with an adult, toys, and a five-foot Bobo Doll. (Bobo Dolls are the large inflatable clowns that are shaped like a bowling ball so they always roll upward if they are punched or knocked down.)
What is the Bobo doll experiment?
It lends support to Bandura’s social learning theory which claims that learning occurs through observation and imitation of others behaviours. It could have widespread implications regarding the effects of the media. If celebrities are seen as role models, this could lead to many dangerous behaviours being imitated, such as extreme diets, drugs, hard-core partying and even violence. Since magazines and television tend to report scandalous conduct, this could affect the way youngsters as well as adults choose to behave.
What is the name of the toy that an adult would throw and kick?
There was either a male or female adult present in the room. In the aggressive condition, the adult would act violently towards a toy called the Bobo Doll. He/she would throw and kick the doll and sometimes used a hammer to beat it up.
What are the consequences of behaviour?
The consequences of behaviours also have potential reinforcing or aversive value. In Bandura’s follow up study (1965) he found that children were much more likely to imitate an adult if they saw the adult being rewarded for their behaviour. They were unlikely to imitate the behaviour if the adult was punished for it.
What are the consequences of being a role model?
If celebrities are seen as role models, this could lead to many dangerous behaviours being imitated, such as extreme diets, drugs, hard-core partying and even violence. Since magazines and television tend to report scandalous conduct, this could affect the way youngsters as well as adults choose to behave.
Is acting violent towards a doll real?
The setting of the experiment was artificial; therefore, may not represent what occurs in the natural environment. Acting violently towards a doll is very different from acting violently in real life. Also it is unknown as to whether there were any long term effects regarding aggression.
What is the Bobo doll experiment?
The Bobo doll experiment (or experiments) is the collective name for a series of experiments performed by psychologist Albert Bandura to test his social learning theory. Between 1961 and 1963, he studied the behavior of children after they have watched a adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll.
When was the Bobo doll experiment repeated?
When the Bobo doll experiment was repeated later in 1990 , researchers found that children who were playing with a Bobo doll for the first time in their lives were up to five times more likely of imitating aggressive behavior compared to children who have been previously exposed to one before.
How long did it take for Bobo to yell at the doll?
After a period of about 10 minutes, the experimenter came back into the room, dismissed the adult model, and took the child into another playroom.
What was Albert Bandura's experiment?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to navigation Jump to search. Collective name of experiments conducted by Albert Bandura in 1961 and 1963 when he studied children's behavior after watching an adult model act aggressively towards a Bobo doll (a toy that gets up by itself when knocked down) This article has multiple issues.
Why are Bobo dolls not aggression?
Some scholars suggest the Bobo Doll studies are not studies of aggression at all, but rather that the children were motivated to imitate the adult in the belief the videos were instructions. In other words, the children may have been motivated by the desire to please adults or become adults rather than by genuine aggression. Furthermore, the same authors criticize the external validity of the study, noting that Bobo dolls are designed to be hit.
What toys were in the adult corner?
The adult model was seated in another corner with a toy set, a mallet, and an inflatable Bobo doll. Before leaving the room, the experimenter explained to the child that the toys in the adult corner were only for the adult to play with.
What was the first measure of aggression?
The first measure recorded was based on physical aggression such as punching, kicking, sitting on the Bobo doll, hitting it with a mallet, and tossing it around the room. The second measure recorded was verbal aggression. The judges counted each time the children imitated the aggressive adult model and recorded their results. The third measure was the number of times the mallet was used to display other forms of aggression than hitting the doll. The final measure included modes of aggression shown by the child that were not direct imitation of the role-model's behavior.

The Bobo Doll Experiment
- The experiment involved exposing children to two different adult models; an aggressive model and a non-aggressive one. After witnessing the adult's behavior, the children would then be placed in a room without the model and were observed to see if they would imitate the behaviors they h…
Impact and Follow-Up
- Results of the experiment supported Bandura's social learning theory. Bandura and his colleagues believed that the experiment demonstrates how specific behaviors can be learned through observation and imitation. The authors also suggested that "social imitation may hasten or short-cut the acquisition of new behaviors without the necessity of reinforcing successive approximati…
Comments and Criticism
- As with any experiment, the Bobo doll study is not without criticisms: 1. Acting violently toward a doll is a lot different than displaying aggression or violence against another human being in a real world setting. 2. Because the experiment took place in a lab setting, some critics suggest that results observed in this type of location may not be indicative of what takes place in the real wor…
A Word from Verywell
- Bandura's experiment remains one of the most well-known studies in psychology. Today, social psychologistscontinue to study the impact of observed violence on children's behavior. In the decades since the Bobo doll experiment, there have been hundreds of studies on how observing violence impacts children's behavior. Today, researchers continue to ponder the question of whe…