The social learning theory

Question 1

what was social learning theory to bandura?

Answer 1

• agreed with principles of behaviourism
• human behaviour requires recognising learning as a cognitive process
• which happens in a social context

Question 2

what is observations involvement in social learning theory?

Answer 2

• others serve as a template for our actions

Question 3

what is vicarious reinforcement?

Answer 3

• when we see someone being rewarded for a certain behaviour
• we mimic the behaviour to also try and be rewarded

Question 4

What is vicarious punishment?

Answer 4

• seeing someone being punished for their actions
• makes us less likely to want to mimic it
• to avoid the same response

Question 5

what is modelling?

Answer 5

• individuals we observe and emulate
• live models= family, friends, parents
• symbolic models= characters from movies or books

Question 6

what is identification?

Answer 6

• we are more likely to imitate models that are similar to us
• e.g. gender, age
• or people who are perceived to be attractive or of a higher status

Question 7

what are mediational processes to social learning theorists?

Answer 7

• human behaviour cant be fully understood without including the role of cognitive processes
• these happen between stimulus and response

Question 8

what are the 4 mediational processes?

Answer 8

• attention
• retention
• motor reproduction
• motivation
• must happen between observing a model and imitating the behaviour

Question 9

what is attention?

Answer 9

• to learn from a model
• individuals must pay attention to the model by focusing on specific behaviours

Question 10

what is retention?

Answer 10

• the ability to remember the observed behaviours
• encoding the observed behaviours into memory
• for it to be retrieved later

Question 11

what is reproduction?

Answer 11

• individuals believe in their ability to replicate the behaviour the model has demonstrated
• depends on individuals physical capabilities and remembered details of the behaviour

Question 12

what is motivation?

Answer 12

• the willingness to perform the behaviour
• influences by the expected outcomes
• rewards and punishments
• based off observing the consequences of behaviour in others

Question 13

how are behaviours internalised?

Answer 13

• behaviours are stored as memories for use when needed
• potentially long after the initial observation

Question 14

what were banduras aims of the bobo doll study?

Answer 14

• to test SLT concepts of modelling and imitation
• wanted to see if children would copy aggressive behaviour demonstrated by an adult towards an inflatable toy

Question 15

Bandura’s bobo doll- procedure:

Answer 15

• kids aged 3-6 divided into two groups
• 1st= observed an adult show physical and verbal aggression towards the bobo doll in a room full of toys
• 2nd= watched adult interact non-aggressively towards different toys
• experimenter observed and recorded the kids physical and verbal aggression behind a one-way mirror

Question 16

Bandura’s bobo doll- findings:

Answer 16

• children shown an aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive for themselves
• identification was seen especially with boys
• more likely to mimic behaviour if shown male role model
• compared to those who saw aggressive female role model

Question 17

Bandura’s bobo doll: 1963 variation- procedure:

Answer 17

• children shown real aggressive adult
• cartoon w/ aggressive cat
• recording of an aggressive adult
• all towards a bobo doll

Question 18

Bandura’s bobo doll: 1963 variation- findings:

Answer 18

• findings indicated all comparable levels of aggression
• showing models live or symbolic are imitated

Question 19

Bandura’s bobo doll: 1965 variation- procedure:

Answer 19

• looked at vicarious reinforcement
• watched adults be aggressive towards bobo doll followed by rewards, punishment or neither

Question 20

Bandura’s bobo doll: 1965 variation- findings:

Answer 20

• children who observed the adult being punished displayed less aggression to the bobo doll compared to the kids in the other conditions

Question 21

SLT evaluations: strength, supported by robust evidence

Answer 21

• supported by robust evidence
• bobo doll study done in controlled lab= high internal validity
• environmental control= pp followed same procedure in same room w same toys
• matched pairs design= control pp variables
• each group has an equal mix of aggressive kids

Question 22

SLT evaluation: limitations, only demonstrated short- term social learning

Answer 22

• aggression may not be imitated weeks or months after the observation

Question 23

SLT evaluations: limitations, lack ecological validity

Answer 23

• aggression in a controlled lab may not translate to real-world scenarios
• imitating televised violence in a school setting
• doubts about applicability of SLT to everyday life

Question 24

SLT evaluations: limitations, relies on inferences

Answer 24

• research supporting SLT relies on inferences
• identification, vicarious reinforcement, mediating cognitive factors arent directly observable but inferred
• inferences could be incorrect
• true causes of behaviour could be completely diff

Question 25

SLT Evaluations: strength, less reductionist approach

Answer 25

• more detailed and valid explanation of human behaviour
• SLT acknowledges roles of consciously and rationality
• behaviourisms simplistic S-R mechanisms can only be used to explain basic learning behaviours

Question 26

SLT Evaluations: strength, more valid perspective than simpler deterministic approaches

Answer 26

• SLT’s concept of ‘reciprocal determinism’ is more valid than deterministic approaches
• behaviour is influenced by both environment and how it is shaped