Social learning theory

Question 1

what psychologist studied social learning theory

Answer 1

• Bandura

Question 2

how does SLT believe people learn

Answer 2

• through observation and imitation
• directly through classical and operant conditioning
• indirectly thruogh vicarious reinfrocement

Question 3

what is vicarious reinforcement

Answer 3

• learning takes place through the observation of others
• imitation only occurs if a behaviour is rewarded rather than punished
• learner observes the consequences of a behaviour

Question 4

what are the mediational process identified by Bandura

Answer 4

1. Attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours
2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered
3. Motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform a behaviour
4. Motivation - the will to perform a behaviour which is determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished

Question 5

identification

Answer 5

• when people imitate others they identify with
• the person they idenfiy with is a role model
• process of imitiationg a model is modelling
• a person becoems a role model if they are seen to posses the same characterisitcs to the observer, are of high status and attractive

Question 7

strength of the social learning theory

Answer 7

1. cognitive factors
   - recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning
   - classical and operant conditioning cannot offer an adequate account of learning on their own
   - humans store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it appropriate to perform certain action
   - more comprehensive explaination
2. real world application
   - can explain cultural differences on behaviour
   - SLT principle like modelling imitation and reinforcement can account for how children learn from others around them,including the media
   - explains how norms are transmitted through societies
   - useful in understandign a range of behavoiurs like how children come to understand thier gender roles
   - increses the value of this approach as it accounts for real life behavoiur

Question 8

limitations of the social learning theory

Answer 8

1. contrived lab results
   - many of baduras ideas were developed through observation of young children behaviour in the lab
   - lab studies are criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics
   - in relation to the bobo doll reshearch the main aim of them is to hit them, the children may have just been doing what was expected.
   - tells us little about how children learn in everyday life