Social Learning Theory

• Assumptions

  • Bandura agreed with behaviourists that behaviour is learnt from experience
  • SLT proposed people learn through observation/imitation of others, suggesting that learning directly and indirectly occurs through operant and classical conditioning
• Vicarious reinforcement

  • reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs by observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
  • key factor in imitation
• Role of mediational processes

  1. attention - learning behaviour
  2. retention - learning behaviour
  3. motor reproduction - performing behaviour
  4. motivation - performing behaviour
• Identification

  • people more likely to imitate people who they identify with (role- models)
• Strength 1

  1. recognises importance of cognitive factors in learning - neither operant/classical conditioning offer adequate explanation for learning. humans/animals store information about behaviours and make judgements on own behaviour, suggesting SLT provides comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising role of meditational processes
• Counterpoint 1

  1. been criticised for not referring to biological approach enough. observational learning may be the result of mirror neurones in brain suggesting biological influences on social learning may be underemphasised
• Strength 2

  1. real world application - been able to explain cultural differences in behaviour or for e.g how children come to understand their gender roles. increases value of SLT approach as it accounts for real world behaviours
• Limitation

  1. evidence generated through lab studies - Bandura's ideas developed as he observed children playing with bobo doll, argued that children being observed may have fallen into demand characteristics, suggesting only shows little about how children actually learn