social learning theory

• What is social learning theory?


  Learning that occurs through observation of role models and the reinforcement/punishment they receive.
• Who proposed social learning theory?

  Albert Bandura
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  • A type of indirect learning
  • Occurs when an observer sees their role model rewarded for a behavior
  • Motivates the observer to imitate the behavior to receive the same reward
• What is identification in social learning theory?

  • The process by which an observer relates to a role model
  • The observer aspires to become more like the role model
• What defines a role model in social learning theory?

  • A person with whom the observer identifies
  • Usually attractive, has high social status, similar age, and same gender
  • Can influence indirectly, even if not physically present
• What are the four components of the mediation process in social learning theory?

  1. Attention
  2. Retention
  3. Motor reproduction
  4. Motivation
• What do the first two mediational processes, attention and retention, involve?

  They are involved with the observation and understanding of the behavior.
• What do the latter two mediational processes, motor reproduction and motivation, involve?

  They are involved in the actual imitation of the behavior.
• What limitation does Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment have regarding gender differences?

  It ignores the biological differences between boys and girls.
• How does social learning theory adopt environmental determinism?

  It suggests that we learn from experience and ignores biological or psychological factors.
• What finding did Bandura ignore regarding boys and girls in his study?

  Boys exhibited significantly more imitative aggression than girls.
• What biological factor may explain the difference in aggression between boys and girls?

  Higher levels of the hormone testosterone in boys.
• What is a criticism of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment regarding internal validity?

  It may lack internal validity due to not fully investigating the effect of aggressive role models.
• What is the 'Please-U effect' in the context of Bandura's study?

  Participants may have acted more aggressively towards the doll to please the experimenter.
• How does the lack of mundane realism affect the findings of Bandura's study?

  It reduces the generalizability of the findings to real-life situations.
• What advantage does social learning theory have over behaviorism?

  • Acknowledges the role of human cognition
  • Recognizes mediational processes as conscious and cognitive insights
  • Provides a better explanation of human behavior compared to behaviorism