approaches in psychology

• What is the definition of reinforcement in psychology?

  Reinforcement is the process of strengthening a behavior by providing a consequence that increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
• What are the two types of reinforcement in psychology?

  • Positive reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus after a behavior
  • Negative reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior
• What is positive reinforcement?

  Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
• What is negative reinforcement?

  Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
• What is the goal of both positive and negative reinforcement?

  The goal of both types of reinforcement is to increase the frequency of the target behavior.
• What are the key points of vicarious reinforcement?

  • The observer doesn't directly experience the reinforcement
  • They learn by watching others receive rewards or punishments
  • This can influence the observer's future behavior
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Vicarious reinforcement is a type of learning where an individual learns a behavior by observing someone else being reinforced for that behavior.
• What does the term "vicarious" mean?

  Experiencing or feeling something through the experiences of another person.
• What is the definition of "punishment"?

  A negative consequence or penalty imposed on someone for doing something wrong or breaking a rule.
• What are the key points of punishment?

  • Negative consequence
  • Aimed at discouraging specific behaviors
  • Can be physical, emotional, or involve loss of privileges
• What does "vicarious punishment" mean?

  Learning to avoid certain behaviors by observing the negative consequences experienced by others.
• What are the key points of vicarious punishment?


  • Learning occurs through observation
  • The person doesn't directly experience the punishment
  • It can deter similar behavior in the observer
• How can vicarious punishment be explained in simpler terms?

  Learning not to do something bad by seeing someone else get punished for it.
• What does ARRM stand for in mediational processes?

  Attention, Retention, Reproduction/ Motor reproduction and Motivation
• What concepts did Bandura's experiment test?

  Social Learning Theory (SLT) concepts of modelling and imitation
• What was the primary focus of Bandura's experiment?

  Children's aggressive behaviour
• What was used as the target of aggression in Bandura's experiment?

  A Bobo doll
• Who conducted the experiment to test the SLT concepts of modelling and imitation?

  Bandura
• What was the purpose of Bandura's 1961 experiment?


  To see if children would copy aggressive behaviour demonstrated by an adult towards a Bobo doll
• What were the two groups in Bandura's experiment and their respective conditions?


  • Group 1: Observed an adult demonstrating physical and verbal aggression towards a Bobo doll.
  • Group 2: Watched an adult interact non-aggressively with different toys.
• What age range did the participants in Bandura's experiment fall into?

  Three to six years old
• How did the experimenter collect data during the experiment?

  By observing and recording the children's physical and verbal aggression from behind a one-way mirror
• What were the main findings of Bandura's experiment regarding children's behaviour?

  • Children exposed to an aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive themselves.
  • Boys were more likely to mimic aggression after observing a male model compared to those who saw an aggressive female model.
• what 2 types of conditioning does learning occur through?

  classical and operant
• asssumptions of behaviour?


  it is learned from experience
• who proposed the social learning theory and what does it show?

  Albert Bandura- people learn through observation and imitation of others within a social context.
• what does attention mean?

  noticing a behaviur
• what is retention?


  how well behaviour is remembered
• what is reproduction?


  ability to perform the behaviour
• what is motivation?


  the will to perform the behaviour- determined by whether the behaviour is rewarded or punished
• what is the social learning theory?

  a way of explaining behaviour that includes direct and indirect reinforcement.
• what is identification?


  when an observer asspcoates themselves with a role model
• what is meant by mediational processes?

  cognitive factors- (influenc#es learning and comes between stimulus and response)
• What study supports the Social Learning Theory (SLT)?

  Bobo doll study
• Why does the Social Learning Theory have high internal validity?


  Because it is conducted in a controlled laboratory setting
• What design was used in the Bobo doll study to control for participant variables?

  Matched pairs design
• What did the Bobo doll study demonstrate regarding the duration of social learning?

  It demonstrated only short-term social learning; long-term effects are unclear
• What is a concern regarding the ecological validity of the Bobo doll study?

  Lab-based aggression may not translate to real-life scenarios
• What is a limitation of the inferences made about SLT processes?

  They are indirect and may be inaccurate
• What are the comparative benefits of Social Learning Theory over behaviorism?

  • Less reductionist; offers a more complex understanding of human behavior
  • Acknowledges consciousness and rationality, explaining behaviors like aggression more effectively
  • Introduces "reciprocal determinism," asserting that behavior influences and is influenced by the environment