What does the Bobo doll experiment demonstrate?

The Bobo doll experiment, conducted by Albert Bandura, is a significant study in psychology that demonstrates the concept of observational learning, where children learn behaviors by watching and imitating others. In the experiment, children observed an adult interacting aggressively with a Bobo doll, and later, when given the opportunity to play with the doll, many of the children imitated the aggressive actions they had witnessed. This finding underlines that children can learn new behaviors simply by observing others, rather than solely through direct experiences or reinforcement.

Consequently, this evidence supports the idea that imitation is a fundamental aspect of learning for children. It emphasizes the role of social modeling in behavior development, which is crucial in understanding various aspects of childhood learning and behavior.