In Bandura's study, what variable was the independent variable?

In Bandura's study, the independent variable was the type of model. This aspect of the experiment was crucial as it allowed researchers to examine how children’s behavior was influenced by different types of role models exhibiting aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors. By manipulating the type of model that children observed, Bandura aimed to determine whether exposure to a specific kind of behavior would impact the children’s own actions.

The design particularly focused on whether children who saw an aggressive model would be more likely to display similar aggression compared to children who observed a non-aggressive model or did not observe a model at all. This structure is fundamental in experimental research, as it highlights how variations in the independent variable can lead to changes in the dependent variable, which in this case was the amount of aggression displayed by the children.

Other variables, such as the amount of aggression displayed, gender of the child, and age of the participant, can play roles in understanding the outcomes of the study, but they do not serve as the independent variable. Instead, they may be considered controlled variables or demographic factors that might influence the results rather than being manipulated for the purpose of the study's primary hypothesis.