The Theories of Albert Bandura

The Theories of Albert Bandura

Albert Bandura was influenced by behaviorism while at the University

of Iowa studying for his PhD in the early 1950s, he developed his own

theories called reciprocal determinism, he believed that not only

does the environment influence behavior, but behavior influences the

environment, or to put it in his own words ’the world and a persons

behavior cause each other‘.

Bandura is often considered a ‘father’ of the cognitive movement, he

looked at personality as three things that interact, the environment,

behaviour and the person’s psychological processes. The psychological

processes consisted of language and the ability to use our minds

imagery. It was really at this stage in his life that he moved from

being a behaviourist and became a cognitivist.

Bandura carried out hundreds of studies but the ones that stand out

more to me than any others, are the Bobo doll (a inflatable doll of

Bobo the clown, with a weight in the bottom so it will stand back up

when you hit it) studies. (Bandura Ross and Ross 1961)

Bandura made a film of one of his female students being aggressive in

actions and words towards a Bobo doll. This film was then shown to

kindergarten children, who were then left to play with a Bobo doll, a

lot of the children proceeded to imitate the aggressive behaviour

towards the Bobo doll, they had witnessed the student carrying out.

To counter criticisms that the children are just doing what comes

naturally, as Bobo dolls were designed to be hit, he made another

film of the woman beating up a real clown, when this was shown to

children and then they were left in a room with a live...

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...rcial and

buy that particular product.

Bandura’ s Social Learning Theory also has an important role in the

study of aggression and criminal behaviour. To control aggression, he

believed ‘family members and the mass media should provide positive

role models for their children and the general public’ (Bandura,

1976). This statement is what influenced me to read about social

learning theory, and Bandura in particular.

Bibliography

Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of

aggressions through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of

Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning

Press.

Bandura, A., & Ribes-Inesta, Emilio. (1976). Analysis of Delinquency

and Aggression. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, INC: New Jersey