Social Learning Theory Flashcards
(18 cards)
What does SLT believe
SLT believes we learn through observation and imitation of other people known as role models
Why do we associate with role models
Shared characteristics
Vicarious reinforcement
Comes from someone else receiving reinforcement
Aim of banduras bobo doll
Social modelling of aggression
Method of bandura bobo doll
Exposing children to 2 dif models: aggressive and non aggressive. After witnessing adults behaviour, children would be placed in a room without the model and were observed to see if they would imitate the behaviours they had seen earlier
Results of bandura bobo doll
Children exposed to aggressive behaviour behaved more violently and similar to the behaviour they were exposed to. Men behaved more aggressively than girls
What did bandura suggest from his bobo doll experiment
There are 4 mediational processes
What do mediational processes allow us to do
Allow us to develop behaviours through modelling
List the 4 mediational processes
Attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation
Attention
The extent to which we notice certain behaviours
Retention
How well the behaviour is remembered
Motor reproduction
The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
Motivation
The will to perform, the behaviour
4 evaluation points of SLT
Research support is unreliable, underestimates the influence of biological factors, explains cultural differences in behaviour, the importance of cognitive factors in learning
Elaboration of ‘research support is unreliable’
- study only uses children
- outcome may be dif with adults
- children and adults don’t learn same way
- unsuccessful
- taken place in lab, behave dif
- results from social learning theory is week
Elaboration of ‘underestimates the influence of biological factors’
- bandura makes little reference to impact of biological factors on social learning
- boys were more aggressive than girls
- this can be explained by hormonal factors eg differences in testosterone which is higher in boys making them more aggressive
Elaboration of ‘explains cultural differences in behaviour’
- accounts for how children learn from others around them
- suggesting they can learn through media to explain how cultural norms are transmitted
- useful for understanding a range of behaviours
Elaboration of ‘the importance of cognitive factors in learning’
Humans and many animals story info about behaviours of others
- use this to make judgements of when it’s appropriate to perform certain actions
- SLT provides a comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising role of meditational processes
