Question 1 (2 points) Is the Bobo Doll study a true experiment? Why or why not?

Question

Question 1 (2 points)

Is the Bobo Doll study a true experiment? Why or why not?

How does the answer to (a) affect the conclusions that can be drawn from the Bobo Doll study?

Question 2 (4 points)

One criticism of the Bobo Doll study is that it is low in external validity.

What is external validity?  

Give two reasons in favor of the argument that this study is low in external validity.

Now give two reasons to support the idea that this study has acceptable or good external validity.

Describe one change to the study that would increase its external validity.

Question 3 (4 points)

If you wanted to decrease aggressive behavior in children using operant conditioning, how would you do it? Your answer should include mention of 3 concepts from Section 6.2 of your textbook (Operant Conditioning).   You should explain how you would apply the concepts to this problem.

Describe one way observational learning could be used to decrease aggression in children

Explanation / Answer

A true experimental design is a study which observes the cause and effect relationship between two variables. A true experiment must include three important criteria, control group and experimental group, random assignment, reseracher-manipulated variable. Albert Bandura developed an experiment to test observational learning. Observational learning, as the name suggests is a form of learning which is learnt through observation. An individual learns a new behaviour through imitation by observation. Bandura and his colleagues designed an experiment in which they divided the nursery school children into two groups; the experimental group and the control group. The participants were randomly assigned. The subjects of the experimental group were made to watch an aggressive video in which two models were seen punching, hitting and hurling verbal abuses on a bobo doll. The control group was made to watch a non-aggressive video.

After both the groups were done watching the videos, Bandura to now test his hypothesis, escorted the children to a room full of toys. It also had bobo dolls included. The children who watched the aggressive video (experimental group) were more likely to imitate the behaviour learnt in the video. They hit and punched the bobo dolls just like what they had seen the models doing. Observational learning is a very powerful source of learning. Children pick up new behaviour through observation and begin imitating it in a jiffy.

Firstly, yes, the bobo doll study is a true experiment as it meets with the criteria of a true experiment. Secondly, the participants of the experimental group were compared to the participants of the control group. This answers the hypothesis of a true experiment which reflects on the cause and effect relationship. Thus, from the results of the study it can be concluded that behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation.

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