Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Key assumptions of the SLT

Answer 1

• SLT is an extenion of the behaviourist approach
• Behaviour can be learned from observing an imitating social roles
• 4 mediational processes (mental processes that occur between the model displaying a behvaiour and the imitation of the observer) attention, retention, reproduction and motivation are involved in learning

Question 2

Imitation as a feature of SLT

Answer 2

Copying behaviours of others to duplicate exactly the behaviour shown by a model

Question 3

Modelling as a feature of SLT

Answer 3

Imitating a role model or role model demonstrating

Question 4

Identification as a feature of SLT

Answer 4

seeing yourself like someone else and wanting to copy them e.g. age, gender and race

Question 5

Vicarious reinforcement as a feature of SLT

Answer 5

Learning through observation of the consequence of actions for other people (reinforcement or punishment)

Question 6

Mediational processes

Answer 6

cognitive factors (attention, retention, reproduction and motivation) occuring between stimulus and response

Question 7

Which 2 mediational processes are the learning of behaviour

Answer 7

attention and retention

Question 8

Which 2 mediational processes are the performance of behaviour

Answer 8

reproduction and motivation

Question 9

Attention as a mediational process

Answer 9

for a behaviour to be imitated, we have to pay attention to it

Question 10

Retention as a mediational process

Answer 10

the behaviour may be noticed but it isn’t always remembered which prevents imitation. Must form a memory of the behaviour for it to be performed by observer

Question 11

Reproduction as a mediational process

Answer 11

whether we are able to perform the behaviour

Question 12

Motivation as a mediational process

Answer 12

whether the percieved rewards outweigh the percieved costs

Question 13

What was the aim of Banduras Bobo doll experiment

Answer 13

To see if role models can influence the behaviour even when no longer present

Question 14

What was the procedure of Banduras Bobo doll experiment

Answer 14

• 72 children who were 3-6 years old
• observed an adult moel behaving either aggressively or non aggressively towards an inflatable doll
• Children were divided into groups, initially by whether they would watch an aggressive or non aggressive model, then by model and whether they would watch the same sex model.
• Model was in a room with bobo doll, hammer and various toys and one by one the pp’s watched the models behaviour for 10 minutes through a one way mirror
• pp’s had a delay before going in the room. Researchers observed children for 20 minutes. Their behvaiour was rated on a scale for aggression by multiple observers and inter-rate reliability

Question 15

What were the findings of Banduras Bobo doll experiment

Answer 15

it was found that children who had observed aggressive behaviour acted more aggressive when observed and that boys acted more aggressively than girls. There was also greater level of imitation of behvaiour if role model and child were the same gender

Question 16

What was the conclusion of Banduras Bobo Doll experiment

Answer 16

• imitation can be seen even after a delay from the learning
• observing aggressive models can lead to aggressive behaviour being shown
• the level of imitation is affected by the role models characteristics

Question 17

strength of SLTS real world application

Answer 17

• used to help inform programmes used to rehabilitate young offenders
• offenders are offered mentors that are seen as appropriate role models to help reinforce behaviour

Question 18

limitation of SLTS reliance on lab experiments

Answer 18

• bandura had an artifical environment, meaning demand characteristics were likely
• also used a doll where the main purpose is to strike it, so children could have been showing behaviour that was expected
• HOWEVER, extranious variables were eliminated and they were heavily standardised instructions

Question 19

Strength of SLTs Hollism

Answer 19

assumes behaviour is a result of observing and storing informtion and then using it to dictate our behaviour

this is a combination of cognition and behaviourism, making SLT a more complex explanation