Observational Learning

Name: Avier Govan

Date: 3-2-17

School: Barbour County High School

Facilitator: Lakia H Brown

3.03 Violent Media

With all of the concern about children playing video games and the violent themes many of the popular ones have, do playing violent video games make children more violent? Critically think this question through and write a paragraph. Research and cite one source.

• In two to three complete sentences explain if you believe that playing violent games make children more violent? (This is your thesis statement)
• In one or two complete sentences tell the difference between observational learning and modeling.
• In two or three complete sentences support your thesis statement by explaining if your belief is an example of observational learning or modeling. Support your answer with material from the lesson and/or research.
• In two to three complete sentences explain if you think that playing violent video games as children will make them more violent adults supported by evidence from the lesson and/or research.
• Cite your source

Partaking in the activity of playing violent video games or viewing violent programming on television doesn’t make a child violent. The real factor that determines whether a child will be violent is the child’s parents. This means that if parents allow their child to play and view these games and programs they must also be responsible for notifying that child that the material is not to be repeated/ reenacted in any way, form, or fashion.

Observational learning is viewing a behavior or action and then teaching yourself how to do that certain thing as if it were your own behavior or action. Modeling on the other hand is simply viewing someone or a group does something and then follow suit, meaning you do exactly what the other(s) are doing.

The example that utilized the inflatable toy was an example of modeling. Just as the inflatable, the video game can be played and played and played but still have no effect on the child they may “model” some of the behavior exhibited in the program they haven’t learned to behave that way. The children that play these games may allow their imaginations to run wild after playing these games but that’s as far as it reaches their imagination; kids don’t literally go out and just start stabbing people or shooting people. If this were evident then the population would most definitely not be so plentiful throughout the globe.