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How did the aggressive adult models behave in the Bobo doll experiment?
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Aggressive behaviour
A pair of red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) competing for possession of a female in the rutting season.
In the Bobo doll experiment, the adult models assigned to the aggressive condition demonstrated both physical and verbal abuse toward the inflatable doll.1
Specifically, the models engaged in the following behaviors:
- Physical Aggression: The adults kicked, punched, and threw the Bobo doll, and they also assaulted it using various objects, such as a mallet.1
- Verbal Aggression: The models made aggressive statements, including phrases like "Sock him in the nose" and "Pow".1
- Non-aggressive Verbalizations: The models also made comments such as "He sure is a tough fella" and "He keeps coming back for more".1
These actions were performed in the presence of preschool-aged children to test the theory of social learning, demonstrating that children are capable of learning aggressive behaviour through the observation of adult models.1