Evaluation of Social Learning Theory as an Explanation of Aggression

Strengths

• Empirical support by Bandura et al found that viewing aggression by cartoon characters produces as much aggression as viewing live or filmed aggression displayed by adults. This suggestes there is wider academic credibility for the idea that the entertainment industry has an influential role in the social development of children
• Empirical support by Patterson et al demonstrates that role models are important in the development of anti-social behaviour in children and that parents (especially same gender parents) are the most important ones. Through the use of surveys/questionnaires, they found that very aggressive children were raised in homes of high agggression, little affection and little praise. A practical application is that when the parents were trained to model appropriate behaviour to their children, aggression rates dropped. This also suggestes there is wider academic credibility for the idea that role models play an important role in forming and developing their children's behaviour
• Philip found that homocide rates…