The situations when children observe the behavior of other people, get some lessons, and use others actions as a model are called the cases of observational learning.
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Albert Bandura's Experiment
Albert Bandura is the psychologist, who investigated deeply the effects of observational learning and proved that this type of learning played an important role in acquiring skills. Bandura's experiment with a Bobo doll when children observe how adults treat a 5-feet-tall toy and acquire the same skills and negative behavior in regards to the doll serves a powerful example of how observational learning influences human life. Its results show how impressive young children are and make people understand that their actions and even words may define their children's future and understanding of the world around.
Influence of Media on Children and Media Violance
Children may find different models of behavior through media, therefore, media violence is considered to be an urgent topic. Experts explain that violence spread through TV, movies, music, Internet, and video games can make children more susceptible to acting aggressively. For example, modern obsession with vampires leads to strange behavior of many young people: they drink blood, sleep in coffins, and dress in black. Still, it is not the worst effect of media influence.
Considering such influence of media on children and the peculiarities of observational learning, parents should take certain steps to protect their children and promote appropriate education. Children memorize quickly everything they observe around whether it is their parents' actions or the concepts offered on TV or the Internet. Media violence is a burning topic for discussion, and parents have to understand that their main task is to protect their children against aggressive-themed media types but not to exclude media from child's life. It is not an easy task, still, real life examples and theoretical knowledge offered by such sophisticated psychologists like Albert Bandura may encourage parents and create appropriate environment for children development and learning.
