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No. 956: Social Learning Garfield

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Social Learning Garfield

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Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=956

Strip by: MadDogBV

Jon: Kill the mouse, Garfield!
Jon: Kill!
Jon: Kill the mouse!
Jon: Kill!
Jon: If you eat this pie, I'm going to kill you.
Mouse: Then let's kill him.
Jon: My last green jellybean! I'm going to kill you, Odie!
Garfield: The plot thickens.
Garfield: I don't know whether to thank Jon, or kill him.
Garfield: This time you die!
Jon: Help!

The author writes:

As a criminology major, I dabble in social sciences more than the average person should. Social learning theory was brought to the forefront by psychologist Albert Bandura. He essentially claimed that environmental and psychological factors influence behaviours of individuals. One of my professors, Donald Akers, suggested that, within in the scope of the criminological theory, these may also potentially influence people to engage in criminal activity if the environment they are brought up in encourages this.

When composing this mashup, I was surprised at the number of Garfield strips that had the word "kill" in it, many of them being uttered by Jon, whether with regards to mice or with Jon threatening immediate retribution for Garfield's gluttony. It should stand to reason that his creation of a hostile environment for his pets would eventually come back to bite him (no pun intended).

You may come to your own conclusion whether social learning theory is valid. Perhaps we can all agree, though, that Jon ought to tone down the rhetoric of violence that exists in his household. It certainly wouldn't do him any harm.

[[Original strips: 1979-08-03, 1980-07-22, 1980-07-24, 1981-03-14, 1981-10-17, 1983-02-27, 1983-09-18, 1984-08-21, 1985-06-29, 1985-09-17, 1994-05-21.]]

Original strips: 1979-08-03, 1980-07-22, 1980-07-24, 1981-03-14, 1981-10-17, 1983-02-27, 1983-09-18, 1984-08-21, 1985-06-29, 1985-09-17, 1994-05-21.