Key Assumption
How does Bandura’s Bobo Doll study support the idea that behaviour is learned rather than inborn?
Children imitated the aggressive behaviour they observed in adult models, showing that aggression is learned through observation rather than being innate.
Describe the sample used in Saavedra & Silverman’s button phobia study.
The sample consisted of a single child with an extreme phobia of buttons, making it a case study.
What research method was used in Bandura’s Bobo Doll study?
A laboratory experiment.
Which learning theory explains imitation through observation, attention, and motivation?
Social learning theory
Identify one weakness of using animals in Fagen et al.’s study.
Findings may not generalise to humans due to species differences.
In what way does Saavedra & Silverman’s button phobia study demonstrate the “blank slate” assumption?
The phobia developed through a learned association with negative experiences, suggesting the individual was not born with the fear but acquired it through learning.
What was the main aim of Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment?
To investigate whether children would imitate aggressive behaviour observed in adult models.
Why was a case study appropriate for Saavedra & Silverman’s research?
The phobia was rare and severe, making it difficult to study using large samples, and allowing in-depth investigation
Explain how classical conditioning contributed to button phobia.
Buttons became associated with fear due to negative experiences, turning a neutral stimulus into a conditioned stimulus.
What ethical issue is raised in Bandura’s study?
Children were exposed to aggressive behaviour, which may have caused psychological harm.
How does Fagen et al.’s elephant training study support the idea that learning occurs through stimulus–response associations?
Elephants learned specific behaviours by associating commands (stimuli) with rewards or consequences (responses), demonstrating operant conditioning.
What were the key findings of Bandura’s study regarding imitation and aggression?
Children exposed to aggressive models showed significantly more aggressive behaviours than those exposed to non-aggressive models.
Identify the research method used by Fagen et al. and explain why it suited animal research.
A field experiment or observational method, which allowed elephants to be studied in realistic training conditions.
How does operant conditioning explain learning in Fagen et al.’s study?
Desired behaviours were reinforced with rewards, increasing the likelihood that elephants repeated the behaviour.
Give one real-life application of Saavedra & Silverman’s findings
Exposure therapy is used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders.
Which learning processes are demonstrated across the three core studies, and how do they reflect learning approach assumptions?
Bandura demonstrates social learning, Saavedra & Silverman demonstrate classical conditioning, and Fagen et al. demonstrate operant conditioning, all supporting the assumption that behaviour is learned through experience.
Outline the basic procedure used by Fagen et al. to train elephants.
Elephants were trained to perform tasks using commands and reinforcement, with behaviour shaped through rewards and consequences.
Suggest one alternative research method to study aggression and give one advantage.
A longitudinal study could track aggression development over time, increasing ecological validity.
How does Bandura’s study show that learning can happen without direct reinforcement?
Children imitated the aggressive behaviour even though they were not rewarded or punished, showing that learning occurred through observation.
Explain why Bandura’s study is considered reliable.
One strength of Bandura’s study is its high level of control. The use of a laboratory experiment meant extraneous variables were controlled, increasing reliability and allowing clear cause-and-effect conclusions about the influence of observed aggression on children’s behaviour.
Explain how the learning approach assumptions challenge the nature side of the nature–nurture debate using two core studies.
Bandura shows aggression is learned through observation, and Saavedra & Silverman show phobias are acquired through conditioning, both supporting nurture over biological explanations.
What conclusion can be drawn from Saavedra & Silverman’s study about exposure therapy?
Gradual exposure therapy was effective in reducing the phobia, and the improvements were maintained over time.
Evaluate experimental methods versus case studies in learning research.
Experiments like Bandura’s allow control and cause-and-effect conclusions, while case studies like Saavedra & Silverman provide rich detail but lack generalisability.
Compare how Bandura and Fagen et al. demonstrate different learning processes.
Bandura shows learning through observation without direct reinforcement, while Fagen et al. show learning through reinforcement and punishment.
Explain how Bandura’s study and Fagen et al.’s study can be used to support both the individual and situational explanations of behaviour.
BANDURA
Situational: Children’s aggressive behaviour depended on exposure to an aggressive model
Individual: Not all children imitated the aggression to the same extent, for example, the difference between boys and girls when exposed to the same models.
FAGEN ET AL.
Situational: Elephants’ behaviour was shaped by training methods and reinforcement.
Individual: Differences between elephants in learning speed and response to training suggest behaviour is also influenced by individual factors (age and personality)