ABSTRACT
In Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis, Albert Bandura introduced a new version of social learning theory in the context of aggression. Bandura wrote for a broad audience about individual aggression, aggression in society, and in institutions. Aggression and social learning theories have come to touch almost every aspect of society. Since the publication of Aggression, the severity and frequency of depictions of violence in many forms of media, both new and old has increased. Although Bandura had highlighted the problems of depictions of violence in the media, the field needed to be expanded to understand how the media could inspire more positive behaviors. Bandura emphasized social learning theory rather than competing views, such as performance catharsis, but that bias is to be expected. By modern standards, many well-respected psychology institutions were indulging in a great number of ethically dubious experiments back when Bandura was researching and writing Aggression.
