Social Learning Theory

• Who proposed the Social Learning Theory?

  Albert Bandura
• What does Bandura agree with regarding learning?

  Learning occurs through experience
• How does Bandura argue that learning takes place?

  Through observation and imitation of others' behavior
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Learning related to the consequences of behavior observed in others
• Who are considered role models in Social Learning Theory?

  Individuals with whom the observer identifies, such as parents and friends
• What characteristics do role models typically have?

  They are attractive, have high status, and are similar in gender and age
• What are the mediational processes in Social Learning Theory?

  • Attention: Paying attention to the model
  • Retention: Remembering the observed behaviors
  • Motor Reproduction: Belief in ability to perform the behavior
  • Motivation: Willingness to perform the behavior influenced by expected outcomes
• What type of research methods does Social Learning Theory favor?

  Objective, quantitative methods
• In what context does Social Learning Theory primarily conduct research?

  In settings where learning occurs, mainly with children
• How does Social Learning Theory distinguish between learning and performance?

  Learning is internalized and stored as memories for later use
• What does the behaviorist approach believe about learning and performance?

  That an immediate response to a stimulus indicates learning
• What was the focus of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?

  Whether children would copy aggressive behavior demonstrated by an adult
• What were the groups in Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?

  • Adult behaving aggressively towards the doll
  • Adult behaving non-aggressively towards the doll
• What was the outcome of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment regarding aggression?

  Children who saw aggression were much more aggressive towards the doll
• Which gender was more likely to imitate aggression after observing a male model?

  Boys
• What is a limitation of Social Learning Theory according to the text?

  It relies too heavily on evidence from contrived lab studies
• What issue arises from the demand characteristics in Bandura's studies?

  They may influence children to behave more aggressively
• What is a strength of Social Learning Theory?

  It has real-world applications in understanding how children learn behaviors
• How does Social Learning Theory explain the understanding of gender roles?

  By imitating gender roles portrayed in the media
• What limitation does Social Learning Theory have regarding frequently observed behaviors?

  It cannot account for behaviors that are observed frequently but not imitated
• What are the key characteristics of Social Learning Theory in comparison to other approaches?

  • Deterministic: Does not believe in free will
  • Nurture: Emphasizes environmental influences
  • Nomothetic: Applies findings from children to everyone
  • Reductionist: Simplifies complex behaviors