Social Learning Approach

Question 1

Outline the social learning approach

Answer 1

-Our behaviour is learned from experience. Bandura proposed the SLT which suggetss we learn through oversvation and imitation of others
-For indirect learning to occur an indiviudal must observe the behaviour of others and imitate it only i its met with positivity
-People are liekly to imitate behaviour of mdoels they identify with. A person becomes a model if they can identify with their characteristics or want their characteristics
-Mediational processes

Question 2

Describe the method of the bobo doll study

Answer 2

Method:
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 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 in a room containing a bobo doll, non-aggressive
toys such as pencils and plastic farm animals and aggressive toys such as a toy hammer
and a pistol.

Question 3

Results and conclusions of bobo doll study

Answer 3

Results:
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 the verbal aggression between boys and girls.
Conclusion:
This supports SLT as it shows that children imitate behaviour of role models even if the
behaviour is aggressive.

Question 4

Whats vicarious reinforcement

Answer 4

Vicarious reinforcement - for indirect learning to take place an individual observes
the behaviour of others. The learner may imitate this behaviour but, in general, imitation
only occurs if the behaviour is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) rather than punished,
i.e. vicarious reinforcement occurs.

Question 5

What are the meidational processes

Answer 5

1. Attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours.
2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered.
3. Reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
4. Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, which is determined by whether
   the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

Question 6

Whats modelling

Answer 6

People (especially children) are much more likely to imitate the behaviour of people with whom they identify, called role models, particularly the same sex role models. This process is called modelling. A person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess
similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have high status to the
individual.

Question 7

Whats reciprocal determinism

Answer 7

Albert Bandura stated that a person’s behaviour both influences and is influenced
by personal factors and the social environment. Bandura accepts the possibility that
an individual’s behaviour may be conditioned through the use of consequences.

Question 8

A03 - Banduras research

Answer 8

Experimental approach to investigate learning, for instance Bandura’s
experiment has found empirical evidence to support the notion that children learn
behaviour and in particular aggressive behaviour through the observation and
ultimately the imitation of role models. However, although the experiments by
Bandura had many versions and were reliable in their findings, we mustn’t
overlook the issues with experimental evidence that might affect the ecological
validity of the results and therefore the conclusions drawn may not be applicable
to real life situations and applicable to all age ranges outside of the sample used
by Bandura e.g. adults and teenagers.

Question 9

A03 - Explains cultural differences

Answer 9

Social learning theory has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences
in behaviour. Social learning principles can account for how children learn from
other individuals around them, as well as through the media, and this can explain how
cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies. This has been useful in
understanding a range of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their
gender role, supporting the usefulness of the SLT as an explanation for behavioural
choices.