Final answer:
Children in Albert Bandura's Bobo doll study learned aggressive behaviors towards the doll by observing adults engage in these actions, demonstrating the concept of observational learning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The classic experiment in question is an illustration of observational learning, particularly highlighted by psychologist Albert Bandura through his Bobo doll study. In this experiment, children were exposed to adults acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll, hitting and shouting at it. When these children later interacted with the Bobo doll, they exhibited similar aggressive behaviors by kicking and throwing the doll, especially if the adult models were neither punished nor condemned for their aggressive acts.
Thus, the main answer to the student's question, based on Bandura's study, is that children learned to hit the Bobo doll by observing adults hit the doll. This experiment highlights the impact that adult behavior can have on children, as they tend to mimic or model behaviors that they observe, which underscores the importance of positive role models and environments for children.