One child developmental experiment known as the, "Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment" in 1961 was meant to prove that children observe and imitate much of the actions of the adults role models in their lives. This may also include the social influences by the media and video games that can have an affect on a growing child's personality, behavior, and moral reasoning. In this experiment, children (both boys and girls) were separated into three groups, the 1st was the control group who had not witnessed any adult interactions with the bobo doll, the second group witnessed an adult hitting the bobo doll, and the third witnessed the adult being passive to the bobo doll. After, kids from all the groups were individually exposed to the bandura doll, it was the kids from the second group that witnessed the adult being violent to the bandura doll who were imitative in acting aggressive to the doll, being the most likely to hit the doll, as well as more aggressive as compared to the other two groups.
Observing the younger kids in my life, I've noticed how their behavior are often times a reflection of their own parents, as well as outside sources like the internet, tv, or school peers. One of my little cousins is about two years of age and going on three, and his younger brother one going on two, loves playing with car toys, and any sort of action movies. So it wasn't surprising to hear the one year old who could barely speak and couldn't say the word 'yes', be able to say "crash" when colliding his toy cars. While his older two year old brother who was running and trips and falls, then says, "woahhh, I almost died." So how is nature vs. nurture apparent in these brothers' lives? Could it be words or actions they've witnessed from the adults living amongst them, or the television action shows that they're so fond of? All in all, it holds weight to the debate of nature versus nurture, or both.
