PSYCHOLOGY

Developmental Psychology
External influences on children’s behaviour – Bandura, Ross and Ross
BANDURA, A., ROSS, D. and ROSS, S. A. (1961)
Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models.
Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, (3), 575-582.
6. Key findings
• Children in the aggressive condition showed significantly more imitation of physical and verbal aggressive behaviour and non-aggressive verbal
responses than children in the non-aggressive or control conditions.
• Children in the aggressive condition showed more partial imitation and non-imitative physical and verbal aggression than those in the nonaggressive
or control conditions. Results here were however not always significant.
• Children in the non-aggressive condition showed very little aggression, although results were not always significantly less than the control
group.
• Children who saw the same sex model imitated the model’s behaviour significantly more in the following categories:
(i) Boys imitated male models more than girls for physical and verbal aggression, non-imitative aggression and gun play.
(ii) Girls imitated female models more than boys for verbal imitative aggression and non-imitative aggression. However results were not significant.
• The behaviour of the male model exerted greater influence than the female model.
• Overall boys produced more imitative physical aggression than girls.
7. Possible conclusions
• Children will imitate aggressive/non-aggressive behaviours displayed by adult models, even if the model is not present.
• Children can learn behaviour though observation and imitation.
• Behaviour modelled by male adults has a greater influence on children’s behaviour than behaviour modelled by a female adult.
• Both boys and girls are more likely to learn highly masculine-typed behaviour such as physical aggression from a male adult rather than a
female.
• Boys and girls are likely to learn verbal aggression from a same-sex adult.
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