The Effects of Aggressive and Altruistic Modeling on Subsequent Behavior

Summary In order to assess the effects of exposure to an aggressive or altruistic model and the stability of aggressive and altruistic behaviors across situations, 120 male and female shoppers were randomly assigned to five treatment conditions. Although there was no difference between Ss interacting with the same or different experimenter as the model, those exposed to an aggressive model behaved significantly more aggressively in the first situation. No effect of observing an altruistic model was found, nor were there any differences in responses to the second situation by Ss who had been in different treatment conditions. However, those who were altruistic or aggressive in the first situation tended to be more altruistic or aggressive in the second one.