Social Learning Theory

Question 1

who’s bandura?

Answer 1

• a learning theorist, not a behaviourist
• challenges skinner
• considers cognitive processes
• believes that we learn behaviour by observing the consequences of someone else’s behaviour
• we learn behaviour vicariously

Question 2

what’s identification?

Answer 2

• when an individual is influenced by another because they’re similar or wish to be like them
• the model is who they identify with
• factors that influence the choice of model include gender, ethnicity, and higher status

Question 3

what’s modelling?

Answer 3

• when someone is influential to an individual, they’re referred to as a model
• it’s imitating the behaviour of a role model

Question 4

what’s imitation?

Answer 4

when an individual observes a behaviour from a role model and copies it

Question 5

what’s vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 5

• the observer indirectly experiences the rewards
• they see the model receive the reward but don’t receive it themselves
• the observer learns by observing consequences of another person’s behaviour

Question 6

what are the mediational processes?

Answer 6

thought processes that occur between observing and imitating the behaviour
- attention
- retention
- reproduction
- motivation

Question 7

what’s attention?

Answer 7

the extent to which we notice a behaviour

Question 8

what’s retention?

Answer 8

• how well the behaviour is remembered
• it’s important that a memory of the behaviour is formed

Question 9

what’s reproduction?

Answer 9

• thinking about whether we’re able to carry out the behaviour