A closer look
Before Albert Bandura came along, people thought watching violence was cathartic and would actually reduce aggression. Bandura destroyed this theory with an inflatable clown named Bobo. He had preschoolers watch an adult violently pummel, kick, and scream at the Bobo doll. When those same kids were later placed in a room with the doll, they didn't just copy the adult—they innovated. They found toy hammers and fake guns to brutalize the clown, proving that aggression isn't vented by observation; it’s upgraded. Children are highly efficient little sociopaths just waiting for a tutorial.
