learning theories Flashcards
(17 cards)
what branch of theories do learning theories fall under?
individualistic
what are the two learning theories?
operant learning theory & social learning theory
who created the operant learning theory?
Skinner
what is another name for OLT
behaviourism
what does Skinner argue?
behaviour that ends in reward = repeated
behaviour that ends in punishment = not repeated
what is behaviour the result of?
reinforcements and punishments
What is Jeffery’s theory?
differential reinforcement theory
what does DRT argue?
if crime has more rewarding consequences than punishing ones - more likely to engage in crime
who suggested social learning theory?
Bandura
what does SLT argue?
that behaviour is learnt through observation from ‘models’ around us
e.g. parents, teachers, older siblings
What was the Bobo doll experiment?
split a group of 4-5 year olds into 3. all were shown an adult who abused a doll (Bobo). group 1 = rewarded group 2 = punished group 3 = no consequences. The groups were then given the doll themselves and most of the imitated the behaviour shown to them.
How can Bandura’s SLT be applied to criminality?
if someone believes that criminal behaviour will be rewarded, they are more likely to imitate this.
How is Bandura’s SLT reliable?
it is supported by other studies e.g. Skinner - initial study has been replicated with similar results
what did the Bobo experiment say about modelling?
children will watch modelled behaviour and will imitate it as they believe it is acceptable
why do Bandura’s findings lack validity?
they are from a very controlled environment that fails to imitate real life
why is the Bobo study unethical?
it may have distressed the children involved & the behaviour they’ve witnessed may have stayed with them
people can witness crime and…
chose not to be a criminal
