SLT

Question 1

Assumptions

Answer 1

Behaviour is learnt from experience
Contrasts behaviourism, learned through observation & imitation of others (social)

Question 2

Vicarious
Reinforcement

Answer 2

Reinforcement that isn’t directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour

Observation leads too imitation if behaviour is vicariously reinforced

Bandura - Bobo doll experiment:
Involved exposing children to two different adult models; an aggressive model and a non-aggressive one. After witnessing the adult’s behaviour, the children would then be placed in a room without the model and were observed to see if they would imitate the behaviours they had witnessed earlier.

Question 3

Mediational processes

Answer 3

Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus & response:

Attention - extent to which we notice behaviours
Retention - how well behaviour is remembered
Motor reproduction - ability of observer to perform behaviour
Motivation - will to perform behaviour, determined by if it was rewarded or punished

Question 4

Identification

Answer 4

More likely to imitate role models you identify with (attractive, high status)

Process of imitating role model = modelling

Question 5

Strengths

Answer 5

• Cognitive factors
  Recognised important of cognitive factors in learning, suggests:
  More comprehensive account of learning than proposed by behaviourist approach
• Real world application
  SLT can explain development of cultural differences - EG - in gender role
  Increases value of approach as can account for real world behaviour

Question 6

Weaknesses

Answer 6

Lab studies
Evidence gathered through lab studies
Not applicable to real life

Demand characteristics -
Bobo doll is designed to be hit - low validity
Suggests research shows little about how children learn aggression in everyday life