The Bobo Doll Experiment: How Children Learn Violence from Watching Adults
In 1961, psychologist Albert Bandura conducted an experiment that would revolutionize our understanding of how children learn-and reveal something disturbing about human behavior. He invited preschool children to watch an adult interact with a room full of toys. In one corner sat a 5-foot inflatable clown doll called “Bobo.” It was weighted at the bottom so it would bounce back when hit. The children watched through a one-way mirror. They didn’t know they were being observed. ...