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The classic study by Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961) on the acquisition of aggression through social learning. The research focused on imitative aggression in children and its potential long-term effects. The study used measures such as aggressive thoughts, feelings, heart rate, and the 'hot sauce' paradigm to assess aggressive behavior. Findings showed that children imitated aggressive models, increasing physical and verbal aggression, especially in boys. However, the long-term effects of this imitation are still debated, with some evidence suggesting desensitization rather than direct imitation.
Typology: Summaries
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Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961) is a classic study demonstrating the acquisition of aggression through social learning. It is summarised in the box opposite. Bandura et al. ās research didnāt explore whether the effects on aggression were lasting. Does imitative aggression last? Bartlett et al. (2009) used measures of aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings, heart rate and the āhot sauceā paradigm to assess aggressive behaviour. This test measures aggression by the amount of hot sauce a participant will give someone known to dislike spicy foods. They showed that the effect of violent videos lasted very little time at all. Increases in aggressive thoughts and feelings lasted less than 4 minutes and increases in heart rate and aggressive behaviour 4- 9 minutes. This suggests the effects of modelling are simply mimicry so are very short-term. Research questions: ļ·ļ Can children learn aggression through imitation of adult models? ļ·ļ Are children more likely to imitate same-sex models? Findings : ļ·ļ Children observing aggressive models imitated them exactly, increasing physical and verbal aggression compared to those watching non- aggressive models (more so in boys ā especially physical - than girls) or no model. ļ·ļ Boys were more likely to imitate a same-sex model and so were girls (to a lesser extent). Procedure : ļ·ļ 36 boys and 36 girls aged 3-6 years were put into three groups (aggressive adult model, non-aggressive adult model or control - no model). Half of each group were male, half female and half of each of these subgroups saw a same-sex model and half an opposite-sex model. ļ·ļ The non-aggressive model played with Tinker toys for 10 minutes, the aggressive model for one minute then attacked the Bobo doll (physically and verbally). ļ·ļ The children were deliberately annoyed by being shown a room with nice toys then told they were for other children. ļ·ļ The children were then observed in another room with toys including a Bobo doll for 20 minutes (through a one-way mirror).
So what are we worrying about? Non-experimental evidence, such as correlations looking at the link between long-term exposure to television and levels of aggression, suggests there is cause for concern. For example, Eron & Heusmann (1986) followed up boys into adulthood. Those who had watched more violent TV aged 7-8 were more likely to be violent criminals as adults. Similarly, in a two-year longitudinal study of boys, Hopf et al (2008) found that previous playing of violent video games and watching violent films predicted involvement in violent crime by age 14. However, things are a little more complex than this. Imitation or desensitisation? A meta-analysis of short and long-term studies of child and adult exposure to violent media (Bushman & Huesmann, 2006) suggested that short-term effects were greater for adults but long-term ones were greater for children. One reason for this difference is the extent to which scripts - the sets of responses to situations which lead us to behave in particular ways, such as reacting aggressively to provocation rather than ignoring it - are ready to be activated through witnessing violence. The logic here is that in adults, short-term exposure primes scripts and beliefs which they have already learned. In children, by contrast, observational learning results in the acquisition of aggressive scripts and beliefs. Much research in the last decade has also suggested that increases in aggressive behaviour following exposure to aggressive models has to do with desensitisation rather than direct imitation. In an experimental study, Staude-Miller et al. (2008) primed participants with a more aggressive (or less aggressive) version of a video game. Playing the aggressive version caused participants to respond less to subsequent aggressive and unpleasant images. Their heart rates and galvanic skin responses indicated lower arousal to the images than participants who had previously played the less aggressive version. This suggests that exposure to violence may increase aggressive behaviour by making it feel less unpleasant in the short term. A new way to test long-term effects of exposure Although some evidence implies that imitation doesnāt have long-term effects this is difficult to test. The problem is that itās almost impossible to control the extraneous variables that affect childrenās development aside from the modelling influences of parents and the media. And a deliberate Bandura-style experiment intended to produce long-term effects in children simply wouldnāt be ethical. So how do we isolate the variable of long-term imitation? Use animals! Suzuki & Lucas (2010) explored whether passive exposure to aggression leads to increased aggression in animal observers (of animal models) and, if so, whether this is due to learning rather than simple mimicry. Rats were housed alone and allowed to watch aggression for 10 minutes a day for 23 consecutive days. To achieve exposure, the learner rats were put in a small aquarium inside a bigger cage belonging to a āresident ratā. The learner rat could see into the resident ratās cage but could not interact. Either an unfamiliar rat (with which the resident would fight) or a familiar rat (with which the resident would not fight) was put into the bigger cage with the āresident ratā. After each observation session in the aquarium, the learner rat and pulling the opponentās skin were Conclusion : Observation of aggression without reinforcement of either the model or observer results in imitative learning (especially for same-sex models).
Questions: Suzuki & Lucas (2010)
Figure 2 Examples of drawings used by Palmer. Answers Cloze exercise: Bandura et al (1961) The aims were to find out whether children learn aggression by imitating adult models and if so whether they are more likely to learn from same-sex models. Bandura et al tested this using 72 boys and girls aged 3 to 6. They were divided up into groups by model ( aggressive / non - aggressive / no model ). In groups seeing a model, half of each group were female, half were male and in each of these groups, half of the children saw a same- sex and half an opposite-sex model. The non-aggressive model played with Tinker toys for 10 minutes, the aggressive model for one minute then attacked the Bobo doll (physically and verbally). The children were then deliberately annoyed by being shown a room with nice toys then told they were for other children. The children were then taken to another room with a one-way mirror. This room contained toys including a Bobo doll and they were observed for 20 minutes. Those children who saw aggressive models imitated them, showing more physical and verbal aggression than those watching non-aggressive models (more so in boys ā especially for physical aggression - than in girls). Also, boys were more likely to imitate a male model and girls a female model, though less so. Bandura et al. concluded that observing aggression without reinforcement results in imitative learning, especially for same-sex models. Questions: Suzuki & Lucas (2010) 1 - What were the levels of the independent variable? Aggressive models ā chronic exposure, aggressive models ā single exposure, non-aggressive models. 2 - a) What was the dependent variable? Aggressive behavior (in the observer rat) b) How was the dependent variable scored? (Content) analysis of the video of behaviour with an opponent, rating behaviours such as: leaping at the opponent, biting, holding the opponent down and pulling the opponentās skin.