Definition
The original Bobo doll experiment was conducted by Bandura et al. (1961) using a 5-ft inflatable clown (the Bobo doll) to demonstrate that children can learn aggressive behavior in the absence of any rewards and solely by observing the behavior of an adult model.
Introduction
At the time the original Bobo doll experiment was conducted, learning was understood through behaviorism as conceptualized by Skinner (1953). Individuals were believed to learn through rewards and punishments. Rewards such as money, praise, or other desirable tangible and intangible reinforcements were believed to increase the likelihood that someone would behave in a particular way, whereas punishments were believed to decrease the likelihood that someone would behave in a particular way. For example, a boy who pushed a classmate off a swing and was rewarded by being allowed to swing right away would be more likely in the future to push a classmate off the swing when he wanted a turn. However, if the...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575–582.
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1963). Imitation of film-mediated aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66, 3–11.
Miller, N. E., & Dollard, J. (1941). Social learning and imitation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York: Macmillan.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Lansford, J.E. (2020). Bobo Doll Experiment. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1214
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1214
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24610-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24612-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences