Abstract
Eighty male undergraduates participated in an experiment designed to investigate the effects of exposure to a nonaggressive model, level of prior anger arousal, and degree of observer-model similarity on adult aggressive behavior. The dependent measures of aggression were the intensity and duration of shocks delivered to the victim by Ss on occasions when this person appeared to make errors on a learning task. Results indicated that exposure to the model was effective in reducing the duration of attacks against the victim both in the presence and absence of prior anger arousal, but succeeded in lowering the intensity of Ss′ aggressive acts only in the absence of such instigation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
BANDURA, A. Vicarious processes: A case of no-trial learning. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology. New York: Academic Press, 1965.
BANDURA, A., & WALTERS, R. H. Social learning and personality development. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1963.
BARON, R. A. Magnitude of victim’s pain cues and level of prior anger arousal as determinants of adult aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 1971, 17, 236–243.
BARON, R. A., & KEPNER, C. R. Model’s behavior and attraction toward the model as determinants of adult aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 1970, 14, 335–344.
BUSS, A. H. The psychology of aggression. New York: Wiley, 1961.
ROSEKRANS, M. A. Imitation in children as a function of perceived similarity to a social model and vicarious reinforcement. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 1967, 7, 307–315.
WALTERS, R. H., & WILLOWS, D. C. Imitative behavior of disturbed and non-disturbed children following exposure to aggressive and nonaggressive models. Child Development, 1968, 39, 79–88.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The authors wish to express their appreciation to John MacDonald and John Mullins for their able assistance in the collection of the data.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Waldman, D.M., Baron, R.A. Aggression as a function of exposure and similarity to a nonaggressive model. Psychon Sci 23, 381–383 (1971). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332627
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332627