Learning approach Social learning theory

Question 1

what did bandura agree? and what did he propose? and argue? A01

Answer 1

Bandura agreed with the behaviorists that behavior is learned through experience. However, he proposed a different mechanism than conditioning. He argued that we learn through observation and imitation of others’ behavior.

Question 2

what does banduras theory focus on? A01

Answer 2

This theory focuses not only on the behavior itself but also on the mental processes involved in learning, so it is not a pure behaviorist theory.

Question 3

what kind of factor is a mediational process and what does it influence give examples? A01

Answer 3

Mediational processes are cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response. This includes attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation.

Question 4

what are the 4 stages of the social learning theory? AO1

Answer 4

Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation?

Question 5

explain the attention stage of the social learning theory? A01

Answer 5

Attention: The individual needs to pay attention to the behavior and its consequences and form a mental representation of the behavior.

Question 6

explain the retention stage of social learning theory?

Answer 6

Retention: Storing the observed behavior in LTM where it can stay for a long period of time. Imitation is not always immediate

Question 7

explain the reproduction stage of social learning theory?

Answer 7

Reproduction: The individual must be able (have the ability and skills) to reproduce the observed behavior.

Question 8

explain the motivation stage of social learning theory?

Answer 8

Motivation: Individuals must expect to receive the same positive reinforcement (vicarious reinforcement) for imitating the observed behavior that they have seen the model receiving.

Question 9

when is Imitation more likely to occur? 4 marks A01

Answer 9

Imitation is more likely to occur if the model (the person who performs the behaviour) is positively reinforced. This is called vicarious reinforcement.

Imitation is also more likely if we identify with the model. We see them as sharing some characteristics with us i.e., similar age, gender, and social status as we identify with them.

Question 10

The bobo doll study Bandura et al 1961 AO1 describe the method?

Answer 10

It was a lab experiment.

Sample: American children, 36 boys and 36 girls aged between 3-6 years old.

Group 1: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model hitting the doll with a hammer and shouting at the doll.
Group 2: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model shown a non-aggressive model.
Group 3: 12 girls and 12 boys (control group) were not shown a model.
Then the children were taken to a room with some attractive toys but were told not to play with the toys (aggression arousal).

Then the children were taken individually to a room containing a bobo doll, non-aggressive toys like pencils and plastic farm animals, and aggressive toys like a hammer and a pistol.

Question 11

Results of bobo doll experiment?

Answer 11

The children who had observed the aggressive model (group 1) were more aggressive than the children from the other two groups. Group 1 imitated specific aggressive acts that were displayed by the model. Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls. There was no difference in verbal aggression between boys and girls.

Question 12

conclusion of bobo doll

Answer 12

This supports SLT as it shows that children imitate the behavior of role models even if the behavior is aggressive.

Question 13

Bandura and Walters repeat bobo doll 1963 what were the three groups exposed to?

Answer 13

the three groups were exposed to an aggressive model and saw different consequences for the model:
Group 1: the model was praised
Group 2: the model was punished (told off)
Group 3: no consequences for the aggressive behavior

Question 14

what were the results of the repeated bob o doll experiment?

Answer 14

When left on their own to play, the children in group 1 showed the most aggression, followed by group 3. Group 2 was the least aggressive.

Question 15

Conclusion of the bobo doll experiment which was repeated?

Answer 15

This shows that imitation is more likely to occur when the model is positively reinforced, demonstrating the importance of vicarious reinforcement.

Question 16

application A01 what has the bobo doll thoery been used to explain?

Answer 16

This theory is used to explain the influence of the media on behavior. This has been used in court in the case of Jamie Bulger’s murder(1990).

Question 17

what did the perpetrators in the court case of Jamie bulgers murder claim?

Answer 17

The perpetrators, who were themselves, children, claimed that they had been influenced by the film Child Play 3. However, these children came from disturbed families where they might have witnessed real-life violence and social deprivation.

Question 18

Evalaution A03 of bobo doll how social learning theory is supported

Answer 18

Social learning theory is supported by research by Bandura et al. (1961) and Badura and Walters (1963); however, these were laboratory experiments, and the task did not reflect the way the participants behaved in their normal life.

Question 19

Evaluation? A03 parents moderate behavour

Answer 19

At this young age, parents would guide their understanding of the situation and moderate their behavior. This was not the case in the studies, as the children were on their own. The children were aggressive towards a doll that they know does not feel pain and could not retaliate; their behavior might be different towards another child.

Question 20

A03 children unfamiliar environment

Answer 20

Furthermore, the children were in an unfamiliar environment; they might have thought that they were expected to behave like the model (demand characteristics).

Question 21

A03 age

Answer 21

The participants were young children, older children, and adults who might not have imitated the aggressive behavior as they had more developed moral values.

Question 22

A03 WHY boys imitated the physical aggression

Answer 22

The theory does not explain why the boys imitated the physically aggressive behavior more than the girls. Other factors must be involved, such as biological factors like testosterone

Question 23

A03 SLT EXPLAINS DIFFERNECE IN BEHAVIOUR

Answer 23

SLT can explain the difference in behavior between different cultures as if a behavior is not displayed and it cannot be imitated. This can explain why groups such as the Amish are non-violent.

Question 24

A03 MEDIA AND AGRESSIBE BEHAVIOUR

Answer 24

SLT can be used to explain the influence of media on aggressive behavior

Question 25

A03 EXPLANATION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Answer 25

It is a more complete explanation of human behavior than conditioning as it takes into account cognitive factors in learning. However, it does not take into account free will and moral values.

Question 26

ISSUES AND DEBATES BEHAVORISM A03 FREE WILL VS DETERMINATION

Answer 26

Strong determinism of the behavioral approach as all behavior is learned from our environment through classical and operant conditioning. We are the sum total of our previous conditioning. Softer determinism of the social learning approach theory recognizes an element of choice as to whether we imitate a behavior.

Question 27

Nature Vs. nurture

Answer 27

Behaviorism is very much on the nurture side of the debate as it argues that our behavior is learned from the environment. The social learning theory is also on the nurture side because it argues that we learn our behavior from role models in our environment. The behaviorist approach proposes that apart from a few innate reflexes and the capacity for learning, all complex behavior is learned from the environment.

Question 28

Idiographic Vs. nomothetic

Answer 28

It is a nomothetic approach as it views all behavior governed by the same laws of conditioning. However, it does account for individual differences and explains them in terms of differences in the history of conditioning.

Question 29

Holism Vs. reductionism

Answer 29

The behaviorist approach and social learning are reductionist; they isolate parts of complex behaviors to study. Behaviorists take the view that all behavior, no matter how complex, can be broken down into the fundamental processes of conditioning.

Question 30

Are the research methods used scientific?

Answer 30

The behaviorist approach uses lab experiments that are highly controlled; therefore, they are replicable. Furthermore, it measures observable behaviors; therefore, no interpretations are required, and therefore the data is objective. However, behaviorists use animal experiments as it assumes that humans learn in the same way as animals.