Viewing modeled aggression teaches novel aggressive behaviors rather than draining aggressive impulses

Evidence

The theory in vogue at the time contended that exposure to modeled aggression is cathartic, allegedly reducing aggression by draining aggressive impulses. The modeling experiments demonstrated otherwise. Children who had observed the modeled aggression readily adopted the unique verbal and physical aggressive style of behavior, as illustrated in Figure 3.1. Some of the children also improvised on the novel modeled aggression. For example, in creative improvisation one of the girls pummeled Bobo with a doll as well as with the mallet! In contrast, children who had no exposure to the televised modeling never exhibited the novel forms of aggression. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 731

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• XREF: Classic Bobo doll finding reversed the catharsis theory of aggression then in vogue.

Related

• Watching aggression increases rather than cathartically releases it (similarity 0.95)
• Bobo doll experiments tested whether children imitate novel aggressive acts (similarity 0.82)
• Fictional violence affects adult aggression as much as real-life violence does. (similarity 0.79)