What factor did Bandura investigate in relation to the role modeling of aggression?

Albert Bandura's research on the role modeling of aggression primarily focused on the influence that a role model's characteristics, particularly the sex of the role model, have on children's behavior. In his famous Bobo doll experiment, Bandura observed how children imitated aggressive actions displayed by adult role models. He found that children were more likely to imitate behaviors that were modeled by same-sex role models compared to those modeled by opposite-sex role models.

This emphasizes how children might process and reproduce aggressive behaviors based on the perceived similarities and social gender identification with the role models they observe. The findings underline the importance of role models in shaping behavior and highlight how social learning can be influenced by gender dynamics. In this context, the sex of the role model is critical because it can accelerate or inhibit the likelihood of aggressive imitation among children, showcasing the broader principles of Bandura's social learning theory.