A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What primary reason is given for why Bandura et al (1961) can't be applied to adults?

1. Adults are less aggressive

2. Children are more impressionable

3. Adults understand aggression better

4. Sampling size was too small

The correct answer is: Children are more impressionable

The primary reason that Bandura et al. (1961) cannot be applied to adults relates to the concept of impressionability. The study focused on children's behavior and their responses to modeled aggression, demonstrating that children are particularly influenced by what they observe and are more likely to imitate aggressive behavior displayed by adults in their environment. This impressionability is a significant factor as children are still in the process of developing their moral understanding and behavioral responses, making them more susceptible to external influences, such as modeled aggression. In contrast, adults have a more developed cognitive framework and social understanding, which might lead them to process observed behaviors differently. As a result, the conclusions drawn from children's behavior may not necessarily extend to adults, who may interpret the modeled aggression in a more nuanced way, potentially diminishing the likelihood of imitation. Thus, understanding that children’s behavior is more easily shaped by external models highlights the limitation of generalizing Bandura’s findings to adult populations.