Social learning theory Flashcards
(12 cards)
Social learning theory
-Social learning theory agrees with most behaviourist principles but argues that the role of internal mental processes in a social context has to be considered in order to understand human behaviour
Observing as a template + Vicarious reinforcement/punishment
-Social learning theory suggests that observing others acts as a template for our behaviour; observing someone getting rewarded for a particular action will make us more likely to imitate this behaviour (vicarious reinforcement), however, seeing someone being punished for an action will make us less likely to imitate that behaviour (vicarious punishment)
Modelling (live models or symbolic models)
-Models are the individuals that we observe and imitate
They can be live models (e.g our parents, family members, and friends), or we can learn behaviour from symbolic models (e.g characters in tv shows or books)
Identification
-Not all models have an equal chance of being imitated
-We are more likely to imitate individuals that we identify with; this involves having similar characteristics such as gender or age
-We are also more likely to imitate those we perceive as attractive or high status
Mediational processes
-Social learning theorists argue that human behaviour cannot be fully understood without studying the internal mental processes that occur between stimulus and responses
-They suggest that there are four mediational processes (attention, retention, reproduction, motivation) that occur between an individual observing a model (stimulus) and the behaviour being imitated (response)
ATTENTION- In order to replicate the observed behaviour, when the behaviour is first being demonstrated, the individual needs to pay close attention to the model by focusing on specific behaviours
RETENTION- retention is the ability of an individual to remember the observed behaviour; this involves encoding the observed behaviour into memory so it can be retrieved later
REPRODUCTION- Reproduction is the individual’s belief in their ability to replicate the observed behaviour; this depends on the physical capabilities of the individual as well as remembered details of the behaviour
MOTIVATION- Motivation is the willingness of an individual to perform the behaviour; this is influenced by the expected outcomes (e.g rewards or punishment), which is based on observed consequences of the behaviour in others
-Mediational processes explain why individuals do not automatically replicate everything that they see
-If any of these four mediational processes are not present, then the behaviour will not be imitated
Bobo doll study: Procedure + Findings
-In order to investigate the concepts of imitation and modelling, Bandura (1961) conducted a study, investigating whether children would imitate aggressive behaviours imitated by adult models on an inflatable Bobo doll toy
-PROCEDURE
-Participants (children between 3-6) were divided into two groups
-The first group would watch an adult display physical and verbal aggression towards a Bobo doll, in a room with many different toys in it
-In the second group, the children watched the adult model interact non-aggressively with the different toys in the room
-After the observation, children in the groups were placed into the room on their own
-An experimenter observed and recorded the physical and verbal aggression of the children in both conditions behind a one-way mirror
FINDINGS
-It was found that children who had observed the aggressive adult model were more likely to be aggressive, supporting the concept of imitation
-The results also support the role of identification, particularly in boys, who were more likely to be aggressive after watching a male model then they were after watching an aggressive female model
1963 variation (symbolic models)
-in 1963, Bandura conducted a replication of the Bobo doll study where children were exposed to either a live aggressive adults, a recording of an aggressive adult, or a cartoon featuring an aggressive cat; all of which were being aggressive towards a Bobo doll
-It was found that the children’s aggression levels was similar between conditions, suggesting that symbolic models are also imitated
1965 variation (vicarious reinforcements)
-In this 1965 variation, children were shown an adult displaying aggressive behaviour towards a Bobo doll, followed by the adult either recivieving a reward (sweets), a punishment (being hit with a wooden gold club), or neither
-It was found that children who had observed the adult get punished displayed significantly less aggressive behaviour compared to children in the other conditions; this provides support for the concept of vicarious reinforcement
Positive evaluation of social learning theory (supported by robust evidence)
-A strength of social learning theory is that it is supported by robust evidence; for example the Bobo doll study, which has a high internal validity as it was conducted in a controlled lab setting with standardised procedures (e.g same room with access to identical toys)
-Additionally a matched pairs design was used, eliminating the possibility of participant variables by assessing the pre exisitng aggressiveness levels of the children to ensure that both groups had an equal mix of aggressive children
Negative evaluation of social learning theory (However short term effects)
-However, a negative of social learning theory studies is that they only show the short-term effects of social learning; aggressions may not be imitated weeks or months after observation
-Additionally, the Bobo doll study has low ecological validity, as imitation of aggressive behaviours in a controlled lab study may not be apply to real world scenarios, limiting the generalisability of SLT
Negative evaluation of social learning theory (reliance on inferences)
-A limitation of social learning theory is that it relies on inferences; for example, mediational processes, vicarious reinforcement, identification, and modelling are all not directly observable, so inferences have to be made
-Inferences are effectively educated guesses based on observed behaviour, so can be incorrect, therefore reducing the external validity of the theory
overalllll
- observing others act as a template (vicarious reinforcement)
-Takes into account internal mental processes
-Modelling
-Identification
-Mediational processes
-Bobo doll study and procedure (1961) - variations in 1963 and 1965
