The Bobo Doll Experiment

Albert Bandura's famous experiment was the 1961 bobo doll study.
Bandura believed that learning happens through observations and interactions with other people also known as the social learning theory.



The experiment involved exposing children to two different types of models; an aggressive one and a non- aggressive one. After the children observed the models they would then be placed into a room without the model and were observed to see if they would imitate the behavior they witnessed.
Bandura made many predictions about what would happen:

1. He predicted that children who observed an adult acting aggressively would be likely to act aggressively even when the adult model was not present.


2. The children who observed the non-aggressive adult model would be less aggressive than the children who observed the aggressive model; the non-aggressive exposure group would also be less aggressive than the control group.


3. Children would be more likely to imitate models of the same-sex rather than opposite-sex models.


4. Boys would behave more aggressively than girls.

Bandura used 36 girls and 36 boys ranging from 4 to 6 years old. 
There were a total of 8 experimental groups which 24 were assigned to the control group, which had no treatment. 
The rest of the children were divided into two groups categorized by girls and boys, that way half of them they can be exposed to same- sex models and half to opposite sex models. 

THE METHOD.  

• The child was first brought into playroom where different activities were going on. 
• An adult was invited into the room and was joining in on the activities, after about ten minutes the adults began to play with "tinker toys".
• The non- aggressive model continued to play and ignored the bobo doll, where as the aggressive model violently beat up the bobo doll.
• Next, the child was taken into a different room full of toys that included a doll set, fire engine, air plane, etc., and was told not to play with anything. 
•  The final experimental room was full of aggressive toys as well as non aggressive toys and the child could play for 20 minutes. 

THE RESULTS:

1.  Children that were exposed to the violent model tended to imitate they behavior they observed when the adult was no longer present.
2. Children of both genders in the non- aggressive groups did show less aggression than the control group. Boys that observed a non- aggressive opposite sex model were more likely than those in the control group to be aggressive.
3. Gender played a role. A boy that observed an aggressive male model was more likely to act aggressively than those who observed a female aggressive model. 
4. Boys engaged in twice as many aggressive acts than the girls. 

 The results from the bobo experiment supported Bandura's social learning theory.


To watch a video about the bobo doll experiment click here.

To learn more about the bobo doll experiment click here.