Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Assumptions (3)

Answer 1

Most behavior is learnt from experience (like Behaviorism)
people learn through observations and imitations of others
learning occurs through opperant, classical and indirect conditioning

Question 2

Key concepts (4)

Answer 2

imitation
identification
modelling
vicarious reinforcement

Question 3

Key concepts; imitation

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Key concepts; indentification

Answer 4

people are more likely to imitate the behavior of those they can identify with (role models)

Question 5

Key concepts; modelling

Answer 5

when someone is influential, they’re referred to as a model, therefore when an individual imitates the person’s behavior later it is called “modelling the behavior”

Question 6

Key concept; vicarious reinforcement

Answer 6

term used to describe the reinforcement such as a reward which makes behavior more likely to happen again

Question 7

The Bobo Doll Experiment; Bandura 1961

Answer 7

36 boy and girls aged 3-6 were split into 3 groups;
1 = an aggressive model was shown 2 = a non aggressive model was shown 3 = control group
RPS watched their model play with the Bobo Doll and then placed in another room with the same toys to see if they would repeat the behavior just shown to them.
those who were in the aggressive group displayed aggression
boys were more aggressive than girls
more imitation if the role model was of the same gender

Question 8

The role of Mediational Processes

Answer 8

Mental factors mediate the learning process to determine if a new response is required. We do not automatically observe and imitate it as there needs to be some though prior to imitation called the mediational process

Question 9

4 Mediational Processses; Bandura

Answer 9

Attention = behavior needs to be noticed to be imitated
Retention = remembering what happened to apply it later 
Reproduction = behavior is not always able to be imitated due to physical limitations
Motivation =  rewards encourages he observer to imitate the behavior but punishments means that they won't

Question 10

Positives (2)

Answer 10

successfully explains why people imitate behavior

takes thought processes into account

Question 11

Negatives (2)

Answer 11

doesn’t explain cognitive processes therefore its not a full explanation
Bandura’s ideas were developed through observations of children’s behavior in lab settings