Question

Do you think that the media has a big influence on the behavior of children? Why or why not? Do you think that this research the Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment gives valid support on the effects of media on behavior? Why or why not? What aspects, if any, do you think that the researchers could change or do differently if the study was repeated? How do you think that a potential study focusing on the influence of music be set up?.

Answer 1

Answer- Yes, I do believe that social media has a big influence on the behavior of children as it may more often than not have a negative impression on a child's healthy development. Social media can compel a child to have negative notions about his/her weight status, may invoke sexual initiation at a rather young age, promote aggressive feelings and emotions, engrain the idea of consumerism and can also push a child to the extent of social isolation.

The Bandura Bobo doll experiment was conducted by Albert Bandura which included a series of experiments based on observational learning, which were collectively known as the Bobo doll experiments. The Bobo doll experiment was typically conducted to observe and determine whether a child would or would not imitate an aggressive behavior portrayed by another individual. In layman terms, if someone's behavior would affect their behavior. In this experiment, a group of children ( 6 boys and 6 girls) between the ages of 3-6, were selected for the activity. They were then taken into a room full of toys, individually, with a large inflated doll, called the Bobo doll in the middle of the room. An adult accompanying the child would then proceed to beat the doll up repeatedly and would thereafter leave the room, leaving the child alone in the room with the toys. It was observed that the children after the adult left, would go on to imitate the same aggressive behavior by punching and beating the Bobo doll. The same experiment was conducted in a controlled environment wherein the adult this time, acted calmly around the Bobo doll and it was observed that the children reacted similarly, once the adult left the room. This experiment showed that children do tend to imitate the behavioral patterns of the adults around them.

A few years later, with the introduction of televisions and radios, the same experiment was conducted again by Albert Bandura. This time, however, a group of children was made to be seated in front of a TV, which showed the adults behaving aggressively around the Bobo doll and another group of children was asked to watch an adult in a cartoon costume acting aggressively with the Bobo doll, in both the cases, the children imitated the actions seen on TV as well as the actions portrayed by the adult wearing the cartoon costume.

In the case of music, music has one of the most powerful effects on children, as it affects their mood, their emotions and their perception of the world. The lyrics, tone and the music video, play a major role in shaping and developing a child's perception of society, sense of self and the world. An experiment can be conducted in order to showcase the impact of music on children. In this experiment, two groups (A and B) of ten kids each, ranging from 10-15 years should be selected. Group A should be asked to listen to music which includes subliminal sexual references, whereas group B should be asked to listen to country music.