Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961)

• To show children can learn agressive behaviour through immitation
• Method and Procedure
• Sample of 72 children. 36 girls, 36 boys
• divided into 3 groups and given a male or female role model
• 1 group- aggressive condition: an adult role model played with toys then aggressivley hit and kicked the Bobo doll
• 2nd group- non aggressive condition- modle played with toys nicely and ignored Bobo doll
• control- no role model present- children allowed to play
• Then kids taken into a room with toys but were not allowed to play with them--produced annoynace.
• Taken into a second room where there were lots of toys and the Bobo doll.
• children observed through a one way mirror where behaviour noted and recorded

• children in the 1st condition were more aggressive to the Bobo doll than the other groups
• 70% of the 2nd condition showed no aggression
• boys had a higher level of physical aggression than girls
• male aggressive model more likely to be copied than a female one as females not associated with aggression
• children more likely to copy the same sex role model
• 

Conclusions

• aggression can be learnt through immitation by observing aggressive role models
• same sex role models had more of an effect than opposite sex role models- gender development.

• + supports SLT
• +practicle application- media violence
• + generalisability- large sample group and equal gender balance
• +Scientific controls- 1 way mirror less chance of demand chacteristics
• + Bobo doll present in all conditions made sure it wasn't just a preffered play toy
• children's aggression measured before being split into groups so they knew aggression wasnt down to individual differences
• + artificial- aggression against a toy not a real person
• +Repicable as lab experiment- reliability

• - Lab condition- low E.V
• -high chance of demand characteristics- children knew they should kick the doll as allowed to play with toys where Bobo doll was present
• -distress to the children-uncomfortable watching an adult be aggressive
• - could replicate behaviour in real life- kick someone in the playground