Social Learning Theory: Bandura’s Bobo Beatdown Experiments

What do you think? Can we learn only through direct experience, or also from studying others? To prove that children can learn by mere observation, american-canadian psychologist Albert Bandura came up with the Bobo Doll Experiments - a set of controversial studies, which involved preschool children, adult models and a stand-up punch doll. What did he find out?

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COLLABORATORS
Script: Jonas Koblin
Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
Voice: Mithril
Coloring: Nalin
Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
Head of Partnership Programme: Selina Bador
Production: Bianka
Proofreading: Susan
Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda

SOUNDTRACKS
Nice Toys - Studio Le Bus
Toys Are Alive - Studio Le Bus

DIG DEEPER with these top videos, games and resources:
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory in education-implications for teaching and learning
The Perils of Flawed Experimentation - criticism of the Bobo Doll experiment

SOURCES

CLASSROOM EXERCISE
Experiment! Choose two or more activities that your class will be doing together (best would be simple physical actions like summersaults or yoga poses). For each activity select a different style of demonstration (one demonstrate yourself, one let a student demonstrate, and one will only be described to the students). Make sure everyone executes each pose or activity once. Which learning style do your students prefer? Could they do it better? Encourage each of your students to demonstrate their own activity or pose and explain it in a way they think their classmates will get it. Vary the level of detail of explanation for more interesting results!

Chapters
00:00 Bandura's Hypothesis
00:07 The Bobo Doll Experiment
02:39 Bandura's impact
03:06 Tenets of Social Learning Theory
03:44 Conclusion

[cdale]

Remember when that mom was feeding her kid and he wouldn’t eat. so she tried to feed a teddy bear and the teddy wouldn’t eat so she punched the teddy bear. She tried to feed him again and then the baby ate the food.

[AmyGood]

As a parent, I try very hard to watch my own behaviour and words that I use especially when I am in front of the kids. Sometimes fatigue and stress will get the better of me. Every time I see these clips about how much children's behaviour is influenced by their surrounding, I am reminded that I need to do better.

[jp]

Learned about this in my adolescent psychology class, it’s nice to be reminded of useful theories and studies like these. Bandura a goat 🐐

[brendamorales]

Interesting. Another good reason why we must read stories to children. They observe images and learn!

[notthetrueNic]

The other day, I saw two women at a supermarket, accompanied by a young boy.

The little boy was frustrated and hitting one of the women. She threatened spanking him if he didn't behave.

I wonder WHERE the little boy learned that he could express his frustration by hitting others when they didn't behave the way he wanted. Truly a mystery for the ages, I think.

[Cerebrosum]

I remember we once gave our dog a command we had never taught her and she did it immediately.

She had picked it up from observing her friend-dogs following the command during walks, without being taught it directly herself.

[youraveragemat]

interesting study. although i would think that people would naturally punch the bobo doll just for fun because it keeps coming back up

[xivix]

Your mission presented at the end is inspiring, thank you guys.

[thechancellor-]

To the *incredible person* seeing this, I wish you all the best in life❤ don't over blame yourself, accept things and go forward. Don't let others define what “success” is for you. Get up, learn the skills needed and get after it, all the keys to a happy life is in your hands. Keep pushing.

[Heylon]

I find the use of terminology a bit unclear. The question at the beginning and the supporting visuals imply that the question is if we can learn a skill through observation. But the experiments seemed like they were less about learning how to punch, but rather if they would copy the adult's behavior. The kids didn't "learn" how to punch the doll, they learned/adopted the behavior.

[jessevanderhamm]

The fact that kids also learn by observing others was considered a profound revelation for the psychology world? My god… these are the experts, the professionals, and the highest paid amongst us?

[leekouyoumdjian]

Thank you! These videos are so incredibly helpful for me.

[RisageYT]

I keep telling parents kids learn by example, if you're watching tv they will watch it to
if hey see you reading books they will too.

[sajithalo]

1.Which book would you suggest for further reading.
2.Is there any books that are a "must read" when it comes to psychology

[nathalieduverna]

I mostly learned what not to do. By watching my caregivers and family I recognized I didn't want to imitate them. They all seem to follow a particular pattern, even though choosing different careers, that still made them miserable and not very good parents.

[LuisRios-bfvn]

My son is five and his been watching MMA and boxing since he was born. I'm a big fan and now he thinks his a warrior and he loves to wrestle

[kinyacat]

I mostly believe this to be true. I could list things of examples of that happening in my family.

[jasonpitbull]

@2:34 “ seeing other being rewarded does not necessarily motivate us to copy they behavior.” I wonder if a reward has an significant monetary value will that influence the behavior to be copied?

[tsakanichabalala]

We can learn through direct experience and also from studying others

[justsomeguywithamask]

Funny how some/most people before/after this experiment didn't understand these simple principles.