General Psychology 1General Psychology 1

Observational Learning – Module 22Observational Learning – Module 22

March 31, 2005March 31, 2005

Class #18Class #18

Albert Bandura (1925-Present)Albert Bandura (1925-Present)Observational LearningObservational Learning

"Of the many cues that influence behavior, at any point in time, none is more common "Of the many cues that influence behavior, at any point in time, none is more common than the actions of others" (1986)than the actions of others" (1986)

Born on December 4, 1952 in Born on December 4, 1952 in Province of Alberta, CanadaProvince of Alberta, Canada

Went to a small high school Went to a small high school with only 20 students and 2 with only 20 students and 2 teachersteachers

1949 received his B.A. from 1949 received his B.A. from the university of British the university of British ColumbiaColumbia

1952 obtained his doctorate 1952 obtained his doctorate from the University of Iowafrom the University of Iowa

1953 accepted teaching 1953 accepted teaching position at Stanford where he position at Stanford where he still teaches todaystill teaches today

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Also called observational learningAlso called observational learning The learning that occurs by The learning that occurs by

observing and imitating others or observing and imitating others or a modela model

Major Components InvolvedMajor Components Involved

Attention:You can’t learn anything unless your paying attention You can’t learn anything unless your paying attention and are fully engaged in what it is your learning. and are fully engaged in what it is your learning. Anything that puts a damper on attention like being tired, Anything that puts a damper on attention like being tired, groggy, drugged , nervous, etc will make you learn less.groggy, drugged , nervous, etc will make you learn less.

Retention:It’s impossible to learn things if you can not remember or It’s impossible to learn things if you can not remember or retain them.retain them.

Reproduction:We all have the ability to reproduce behaviorWe all have the ability to reproduce behaviorexample: some people can watch football players all day example: some people can watch football players all day long and still not be able to replicate their play’s because long and still not be able to replicate their play’s because they don’t know how to play football but if it was a they don’t know how to play football but if it was a football player watching it may improve their football player watching it may improve their performanceperformance

Major Components (Con’t)Major Components (Con’t)

Motivation:Motivation:Bandura says that people are not going to do anything Bandura says that people are not going to do anything unless they are motivated to do so, he mentions a few unless they are motivated to do so, he mentions a few motives:motives:Past reinforcement:Past reinforcement:

past rewardspast rewards Promised reinforcements:Promised reinforcements:

Incentives we can imagineIncentives we can imagine Vicarious reinforcement:Vicarious reinforcement:

seeing and recalling the model being seeing and recalling the model being

reinforcedreinforcedSelf-Efficacy:Self-Efficacy:

Knowing and feeling that you can do it well

Bandura, Ross & Ross (1963)Bandura, Ross & Ross (1963)The “Bobo” doll experimentThe “Bobo” doll experiment

-In this experiment pre-schoolers of avg. age -In this experiment pre-schoolers of avg. age 4.3yrs. were divided into two groups and 4.3yrs. were divided into two groups and put into two separate rooms and allowed put into two separate rooms and allowed to play with “attractive” toys while “Bobo” to play with “attractive” toys while “Bobo” an unattractive inflatable, adult-size, egg an unattractive inflatable, adult-size, egg shaped balloon creature sat by itself at the shaped balloon creature sat by itself at the far end of the rooms far end of the rooms

Next, the attractive toys were taken Next, the attractive toys were taken away from the children….away from the children….

What Happens?What Happens?

ROOM 1ROOM 1

While playing with the attractive toys the children witnessed adults enter the room and start beating the daylights out of Bobo the clown

ROOM 2ROOM 2

While playing with the attractive toys the children witnessed adults enter the room and play nicely with Bobo the clown

Bandura (1965)Bandura (1965)“Bobo” Doll“Bobo” Doll

In This experiment kids watched films of adults beating In This experiment kids watched films of adults beating on Bobo, but each had a different ending.on Bobo, but each had a different ending.

FILM 1:FILM 1:Adults were praised and rewarded with candy and Adults were praised and rewarded with candy and soda by another adult who was heard saying, “You’re soda by another adult who was heard saying, “You’re a strong Champion.”a strong Champion.”

FILM 2:FILM 2:Adult was scolded by another adult, “Your very bad” or Adult was scolded by another adult, “Your very bad” or “Hey there, you big bully, quit picking on that clown,”“Hey there, you big bully, quit picking on that clown,”

FILM 3:FILM 3:Neutral ending, no reward or punishmentNeutral ending, no reward or punishment

Criticisms……..Criticisms……..

Many people said that those dolls were Many people said that those dolls were made for punching. So Bandura did made for punching. So Bandura did another experiment with a video of a another experiment with a video of a woman beating up a real clown.woman beating up a real clown.

-Next as in the other experiments the -Next as in the other experiments the children go into another room and children go into another room and what do they find ? A live clown.what do they find ? A live clown.

Were the results the same?Were the results the same?

Hanratty (1969)Hanratty (1969)

Participants: Participants: preschool boyspreschool boysExperimental Group:Experimental Group: watched a film about violent behavior towards a watched a film about violent behavior towards a

person dressed up as a clownperson dressed up as a clownControl Group:Control Group:

watched a non-violent flimwatched a non-violent flim All children were then allowed to play with a pretend doll All children were then allowed to play with a pretend doll

and a real person dressed as a clown.and a real person dressed as a clown.

Hanratty (1969)Hanratty (1969)

Results: Results:

Only the boys who saw the violent film clip Only the boys who saw the violent film clip committed aggressive actscommitted aggressive acts

Dependent variable:Dependent variable: ????????????? ?????????????

Independent VariableIndependent Variable: ?????????????????: ?????????????????

Application of Bandura’s Theory

• Prosocial behavior– Bandura feels it can be used to promote

prosocial behavior – helping behavior• Violence in schools

– Bandura feels his theory applies to today’s violent times as well

Is Television To Blame?

• Hundreds of studies say yes! Why?– Social Learning Theory says:

• People become immune to the horrors of violence• They gradually come to accept violence as a

way to solve problems• They imitate the violence they observe on

television• They identify with certain characters

Space BlasterSpace Blaster

Doomsday Version 2.5

Social Learning Theory of Aggression

• Theory that aggressive behavior is learned through:– Direct Reward

(example: father buys son an ice cream after he wins a fight)

– Observing Others Being Rewarded for Aggressiveness (example: a television character wins the girl of his dreams as a result of killing several people)

Glamorizing Violence

• Plagens, et al. (1991)– Typical American child sees 200,000 acts of

violence on TV by age 18 – Children who watch a lot of violent TV are

more violent towards peers– Experimental studies, in which violence is

controlled, also find effects of watching violence

Other studies have found…

• By the end of elementary school, a typical American child will have seen:– 8,000 murders – More than 100,000 other acts of violence.

• 2003 study found 534 separate episodes of prime-time violence during a 2 week period.

• The most violent TV shows are targeted to children (e.g., cartoons).

Violent Video Games

• Several studies have shown significant results indicating that playing violent video games is associated with a history of property destruction and hitting other students…– Anderson & Dill (2000)

• College students randomly assigned to play a violent video game (Wulfenstein) later had more aggressive thoughts and feelings than those who played a nonviolent game (Tetrix)

• Dilemma for parents about letting children watch television and play video games– parents find video a good babysitter– parents believe video can sometimes be

educational tool

• Experts suggest parents turn off the TV to avoid exposing children to video violence

Videos

• Most “good guys” are male white heroes

• Women/females portrayed as victims or adoring friends—not as leaders

• Content of video games even worse than than that of television– more violent, sexist, racist

Videos

Videos

• Content of video games crucial reason behind great concern of developmental researchers- research shows that violent TV and

video games push children to be more violent than they normally would be• computer games probably worse, as

children are doing the virtual killing

Can have positive effect…

• Freidrich and Stein (1972):– The Mister Rogers Study:

• Showed a preschool group Mister Rogers every weekday for four weeks

• During the viewing period, children from less educated homes became more cooperative, helpful, and more likely to state their feelings

•  Other studies:– Children, especially males, who watched

educational television became teens who earned higher grades, read more