A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

In Bandura et al. (1961), the research focused on the role of observational learning in children's behavior. The findings indicated that boys demonstrated a strong tendency to imitate behaviors exhibited by same-gender models. This is consistent with the social learning theory proposed by Bandura, which emphasizes that children learn behaviors by observing and imitating those they identify with, including same-gender individuals.

Boys not only imitated same-gender models more frequently, but they also engaged in more aggressive behaviors when observing male role models compared to when observing female models. This difference highlights the concept of gender identity and the influence of social norms on behavior, particularly in the context of aggression that was being displayed by male models during the study.

In contrast, girls did show some same-gender imitation, but the strength of this imitation was not emphasized in the findings as prominently as that of boys. The boys’ distinctive imitation patterns align with the idea that children are more likely to replicate behaviors that they perceive to be consistent with their gender identity. Thus, the emphasis on boys imitating male models is central to understanding the dynamics of gender and behavior in Bandura's study.