Question

Nature/nurture debate within psychology is concerned with the extent to which particular aspects of behavior are a product of either inherited (genetic) or acquired (learned) characteristics. This exercise will help you explore that debate by looking at one specific behavior, aggression.

Bandura's (1977) social learning theory states that aggression is learned from the environment through observation and imitation (nurture). He concludes this, in part, from the results of his famous Bobo doll experiment (Bandura, 1961). Review the Bobo experiment here, Bobo Experiment.

Reflect on the following issues:

• Where do you stand on nature/nurture debate? Is aggression a learned behavior? Please provide specific examples to support your point of view.
• Discuss your thoughts on the experiment and its relevance to the debate. Do you see any potential flaws or underlying factors that may not be reflected in the analysis here?
• Suggest at least one implication for society if children do learn predominantly by imitation.

Answer 1

I have always supported the influence of nurture on one’s personality, attitudes and character. This would mean one’s environment such as, parenting, friends, education, employment, socio-economic factors would influence one throughout one’s life. Although aggression is a learnt, the basics are hard wired in the genes and brain thus, while exposed to aggressive behaviors regularly, one would learn to be aggressive. The experiment suggests that young children would observe and imitate the behaviors of the adults and children who watched the action of hitting the doll aggressively, started to do that themselves. But, when aggression is learnt through imitation, other factors can contribute in regulating aggression to an extent that it doesn’t harm others and self. This concept is missing in the experiment because aggression is a necessary emotion for any organism for its survival. Children who learn things by imitation without the guidance of the elders would most of the time make mistakes and would end-up in failures. If they are guided to exhibit hat aggressive behavior in relevant contexts then they would be successful.

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