Posted by & filed under Introduction To Psychology, Learning, Psychology Update, Social Psychology.

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Albert Bandura, Leading Psychologist of Aggression, Dies at 95

 

DESCRIPTION

Perhaps one of the most famous Psychologists of the 20th century, Albert Bandura paved a new road in our understanding of human behavior through his most famous experiment about which every Psychology learns in the introductory course.  “He was most known for his Bobo doll experiment, in which children mimicked adults in attacking an inflatable doll. The work challenged basic tenets of psychology.” The article provides a discussion of the experiment and a number of illustrations from the original film.   The work had a major impact on the understanding of aggressive behavior through social imitation and modeling. 

In addition, Bandura pioneered Social Cognitive Theory:  “His social cognitive theory of human functioning emphasized people’s capacity for self-reflection and personal agency, and his extensive writing and research contributed to the understanding of personality formation, cognition, morality and the treatment of mental disorders like phobias. His theory of self-efficacy — people’s belief in their own competence and ability to exert control over their behavior and social environment — has been widely applied across many areas, including education, public health and drug and alcohol abuse.”

The obituary is a good read!  It provides not only a focus on Bandura’s work but also a history of Psychology vis a vis learning theory in the 20th century.

 

SOURCE

New York Times, July 29, 2021, by Erica Goode

 

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/science/albert-bandura-dead.html?smid=url-share

 

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/3fppcvkw

 

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•Describe the Bobo experiment?  What conclusions can be drawn from Bandura’s famous work?

•According to the article, how did Bandura’s work “collide” with the existing learning theories of the time?

•What is Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory?   How can that be applied to daily living.

 

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