Social Learning Theory Flashcards
Who proposed the idea of social learning theory
Albert bandura proposed social learning theory as a development of the behaviourist approach.
He argued that classical and operant conditioning could not account for all human learning.
He believed that there are important mental processes that lie between the stimulus and response proposed by the behaviourist approach.
Assumptions of the approach
Agrees with behaviourists in that much of behaviour is learned through experience.
It is concerned with human rather than animal behaviour.
Learning occurs through the observation and imitation of role models.
Leaning can occur directly through classical conditioning + operant conditioning but can also occur indirectly.
Summary of social learning theory
Learning through imitation. This is indirectly as you are watching what happens as a result of someone else’s behaviour.
What are the two types of models
Live models - these are people who are present in our environment. (Teachers/parents/siblings, etc)
Symbolic models - these are people who are present in the media (e.g. celebrities).
What traits does someone have to have to be an effective role model
Same gender
Higher status
Same age
Admired or/and respected
How does Imitation explain behaviour
Much of what a child learns is acquired through imitation of the behaviours and attitudes modelled by their parents.
While patterns of behaviour can be rapidly acquired.
What is vicarious reinforcement
This is when you learn about the consequences of behaviours from others.
Our tendency to repeat or duplicate behaviours for which others are being rewarded and we adjust our own behaviour accordingly.
What was bandura’s bobo doll experiment
This is the experiment where bandura recorded the behaviour of young children who had watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a bobo doll.
The adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it.
The children then played in the room where there was the bobo doll as well as other toys.
There were a total of 72 (36 boys + 36 girls aged between 3 to 6) participants- the aggressive model shown to 24 children, the non-aggressive model was shown to 24 children, and no model (control condition) was shown to 24 children.
Children who observed the aggressive model acted more aggressively towards the bobo doll then the group who observed the non-aggressive model or control group.
Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls.
Boys were more likely to imitate same-sex models than girls.
For modelling to occur, ARRM has to take place. What does the acronym ARRM stand for
- Attention to the role model
- Retention of the observed behaviour
- Reproduction of the target behaviour
- Motivation to imitate the observed behaviour
Strength of social learning theory
It considers the role of cognitive factors in learning.
It is based on laboratory experiments (scientific).
It explains the learning of complex behaviours such as aggression/eating disorders- it is effective in explaining specific imitated behaviour.
It has been successfully applied to many areas of psychology, for example, gender development.
Application to film certification age appropriate content.
Limitations of social learning theory
It does not take into account the influence of biological factors on behaviour (e.g levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine)
It doesn’t take into account free will and moral values.
Most support for SLT comes from laboratory experiments which might affect the evidence because it is done in an artificial environment and may not represent people’s everyday life.
Sees behaviour as environmentally determined; some behaviours may be innate.
