social learning theory Flashcards
who was the main researcher in this approach
Bandura
what did Bandura argue?
we learn through observation and imitation of other’s behaviour, directly and indirectly.
what processes did he propose?
the mediational processes
what are mediational processes?
cognitive factors that influence learning, in between stimulus and response.
what are the mediational processes? /4
(ARRM)
Attention- the extent to which we notice behaviour and consequences.
Retention- storing the observed behaviour in LTM, remembrance.
Reproduction- the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
Motivation- the will to perform the behaviour (VICARIOUS ENFORCEMENT)
what is vicarious reinforcement?
imitation is more likely to occur if the model is +ley enforced.
when is imitation more likely to occur?
when we identify with the model, similar characteristics. identification.
what study did Bandura do?
Bobo doll study (1961)
what was the aim of the bobo doll study?
test the idea that children could learn to become aggressive through imitating another aggressive persons behaviour.
what was the method of the bobo doll study?
group 1- 12girls 12boys shown model shouting and hitting doll with hammer.
group 2- 12g and 12b shown model acting non-aggressively
group3 - 12g and 12b not shown model (control group)
what were the results?
g1 children acted more aggressively with the doll when isolated, boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls.
what did the study conclude?
supports social learning theory, children imitate behaviour of role models even if the behaviour is aggressive.
ao3 cognitive factors? +cp
strength, recognises importance of cognitive factors in learning, not done in classical/operant conditioning. less reductionist
cp- doest consider biological factors, mirror neurons that allow us to imitate behaviour.
ao3 lab studies? +cp
limitation, all evidence gathered from lab studies, demand characteristics as children behaved in an ‘expected’ way, not generalisable to real life.
cp- scientific credibility due to good methodology, replicable and no extraneous variables.
ao3 real world application?
strength, explains cultural differences in behaviour. explains how children learn from others around them and media, useful in understanding range of behaviours eg. children’s idea of gender roles. increase value.
