Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is the social learning theory
Learning through observing others and imitating behaviours that are rewarded
- Bandura believed that reinforcement could also serve an informative function
-the observer identifies a desirable role model which their behaviour is observed
Who came up with the social learning theory
Bandura
Describe the concept of modelling in the social learning theory
- Models - are seen as someone who must carry out the behaviour to be learned
-A live model can be a parent or teacher - A symbolic model would be portrayed in the media-can exert influence without being physically presence
-these models provide examples of behaviour that can be observed and reproduced by them by imitation
Describe imitation in the social learning theory
-it is the action of using someone or something As a model and copying their behaviour
-the key determinants on whether a behaviour is imitated are:
1.characteristics of the model
2.the observers perceived ability to perform that behaviour
3.the observed consequences of the behaviour
Describe identification in the social learning theory
-it is a form of influence where an individual adopts a behaviour because they want to be associated with a particular group
-also refers to the extent which an individual related to a model
- identification with the model means that the individual is more likely to imitate behaviour
Describe vicarious reinforcement in the social learning theory
-learning that is not a result of direct reinforcement of behaviour but instead learning through someone else’s consequences for a certain behaviour and then adjust behaviour accordingly
-also an observer will observe someone being rewarded for displaying a certain behaviour and so be motivated to imitate the behaviour to receive the same reward
Describe the meditation all process in the social learning theory
Refers to the internal mental processes that exist between the environmental stimuli + the response made by an individual to those stimuli
1.attention-to learn,observers need to pay attention to the modelled behaviour
2.retention-observer must be able to remember the observed behaviour
3.motivation-anticipated rewards or punishments can influence if the observer decides to carry out behaviour
4.reproduction-behaviours need to be reproduced by the observer
What was Bandura procedure on his research in the social learning theory research
-involves children who observed aggressive or non aggressive adult models and then was tested for imitative learning in the absence of the model
-half of the children were exposed to adult models being aggressive to a bobo doll then the other half was exposed to non aggressive models
-aggressive models were often verbally aggressive
What were the findings in the Bandura research
-children who observed the aggressive model reproduced a good deal of physically and verbal aggressive behaviour
-children who observed the non aggressive model shown no aggression to bobo doll
-1/3 of children observing the aggressive model reproduced the verbal responses
AO3-strength- social learning theory has useful applications
+the principles of the social learning theory has been usefully applied to increase our understanding of human behaviour, ie criminal behaviour
-A psychologist suggests that the probability of someone engaging criminal behaviour increases when they are exposed to models who commit criminal behaviour
-supported by ulrich in the review of literature and finding the strongest cause of violent behaviour was due ti the association of peer groups where violence was modelled and rewarded
Therefore there is research support for the social caching theory
AO3-not scientific-weakness
— a criticism of the theory is that it isn’t scientific as it Ignores the biological differences between boys and girls
-Bandura ignores the findings that the boys imitated more aggressive behaviours than girls
- this is explained biologically as boys have higher levels of hormonal testerone which may increase aggression
- this shows that the SLT theory is not a complete explanation for gender differences in behaviour due to not accounting for biological+hormonal differences
AO3-strength-research support for identification
+research support for identification as the SLT theory-observing a model similar to the self should lead to more learning
-2 psychologist did research with virtual humans looking either similar or dissimilar to pps and they were exercising or merely loitering
-pps who viewed their virtual model exercising engaged in more exercise then the virtual model merely loitering or the dissimilar model exercising
- this concludes that greater identification with the model leads to more learning because it is easier to visualise the self in place of the model
AO3-weakness-lacks mundane realism+ internal validity
— The Bandura study lacks internal validity
-this is due to not entirely investigating the aggressive role models because the bobo doll is specificity designed to be hit
-the study may also lacks mundane realism because it may not represent how children would be aggressive in day to day situations eg either objects or people
-therefore the pps may have deliberately acted more aggressive to doll to please the experimenter, so we can’t generalise findings
