social learning theory

• imitation - copying of the behaviour of others, especially a role model
• identification - social process whereby we associate ourselves with another person and so want to be like them. this is more likely when we see ourselves as similar and/or the other person is of high status
• classical conditioning - learning by association, occurs when stimuli are presented together
• operant conditioning - learning through consequences. reinforcement increases likelihood of repeated a behaviour, whereas punishment decreases the likelihood of repeating it
• vicarious reinforcement - form of indirect leaning where we are more likely to perform a behaviour if we have seen others rewarded for doing it
• meditational processes - cognitive factors that influence learning, including attention, retention, motor reproduction ability and motivation. these occur between observation of a stimulus and our response
• bobo doll study

  observed aggressive behaviour, lab experiment with matched pairs design, aggressive model shown to 24, non aggressive model shown to 24, no model shown to 24, children put in room for 20 mins, behaviour observed

  findings - children who observed aggressive model made significantly more aggressive response than those who were in non aggressive/control groups

  boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls
• meditational processes

  adult models some form of behaviour

  child pays attention to modelled behaviour

  child has seen behaviour and must process it and its consequences in order to form a mental representation of it

  child has remembered the behaviour, and now thinks about whether they have ability to reproduce it

  child imitates the behaviour

  ATTENTION - RETENTION - REPRODUCTION - MOTIVATION
• causes of behaviour - behaviour is learned directly (CC/OC) or indirectly (role models and observations - vicarious)

  mental processes occur between stimulus and response and decisions are made about whether to imitate
• scientific method - psychology should use experimental/observational studies involving controlled conditions
• free will - individual is not a passive receiver of learning: cognition, behaviour and environment all influence one another (reciprocal determinism)
• +applications

  useful for understanding the impact of aggression on TV

  useful for advertising - use influencers, people to look up to

  improves success of campaigns that target health behaviours - improved anti alcohol campaigns

  value in explaining criminality - modelling/reinforcing violence
• +reductionism

  more complete explanation than other approaches e.g. cognitive (mental representation), environmental (reinforcement)

  -not holistic

  still missing perspectives e.g. biological - boys more aggressive regardless of environmental situation could be explained by hormonal factors e.g. testosterone
• -scientific

  lab studies create demand characteristics

  main purpose of doll is to strike it, children may simply behave in the way they thought was expected