What were the characteristics of the children in Bandura's 1961 study?

In Bandura's 1961 study, the children involved were specifically selected from a range of backgrounds, and the focus was on age and gender representation within the sample. The correct choice highlights that the participants were predominantly aged 3 to 5 years old and consisted of equal numbers of males and females. This demographic was important for Bandura's examination of observational learning, as it allowed for a balanced view of how both boys and girls could be influenced by the same behaviors modeled by adults, including aggressive actions.

The age range of 3 to 5 years was critical, as children in this developmental stage are particularly susceptible to modeling behaviors observed in their environment. Furthermore, having equal numbers of both genders ensured that the findings could be generalized across sexes rather than skewed toward one gender's behavioral responses.

The other choices do not align with the characteristics of the participants in Bandura's study, which was designed to investigate early childhood learning processes rather than socioeconomic background, giftedness, or a narrow age group. This balance in age and gender was pivotal for validating the conclusions drawn from the study regarding social learning theory.