Learning Approaches - Social Learning tHEORY

• What is behaviorism classed as?

  Learning theory
• How do we learn according to behaviorism?

  Through stimuli-response mechanisms and interaction with the environment
• What happens when we experience a reward for our behavior?

  We are more likely to repeat the behavior
• What is the effect of punishment on behavior?

  It is likely to stop us from repeating the behavior
• Do we need to experience rewards and punishments ourselves to learn?

  No, we can learn by observing others being rewarded or punished
• Who is a prominent social learning theorist mentioned in the material?

  Albert Bandura
• What is the Bobo Doll Experiment?

  A study by Bandura to demonstrate modeling and imitation in children
• What are the defining features of social learning theory?

  • Learning is a cognitive process in a social context
  • Observing others acts as models for behavior
  • Vicarious reinforcement and punishment influence behavior
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Learning by observing someone else being rewarded for a behavior
• What are models in social learning theory?

  Individuals we observe and imitate, such as parents or media characters
• What are mediational processes in social learning theory?

  Cognitive processes that occur between observing a behavior and imitating it
• What are the four mediational processes identified in social learning theory?

  1. Attention
  2. Retention
  3. Reproduction
  4. Motivation
• Why is attention important in the mediational processes?

  It ensures that the behavior is observed carefully
• What does retention refer to in the context of social learning theory?

  It refers to the memory of the observed behavior
• What is reproduction in the context of social learning theory?

  Thinking about whether one can perform the observed behavior
• What does motivation involve in the mediational processes?

  Considering the potential rewards or punishments for performing the behavior
• How do mediational factors affect behavior?

  If any of the four processes are missing, the behavior won't be imitated
• What example illustrates the mediational processes in action?

  • Katie observes Alice pushing Billy and taking his sweets.
  • Katie pays attention and retains the information.
  • She thinks she can reproduce the behavior and is motivated by her desire for sweets.
• How do behaviorists view the relationship between learning and performance?

  They see learning and performance as the same activity
• How do social learning theorists view the relationship between learning and performance?

  They see learning as separate from performance, which can occur later
• What is Bandura's perspective on determinism?

  He argues for reciprocal determinism, where behavior and environment influence each other
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Bandura's Bobo Doll study?

  Strengths:

  • High internal validity due to controlled environment
  • Used matched pairs design to control for aggression levels

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Lacks external validity; short-term effects only
  • Findings may not generalize to real-life situations
• What is the significance of vicarious reinforcement and punishment in Bandura's studies?

  They demonstrate how observing consequences affects children's behavior
• Why is social learning theory considered less scientific than behaviorism?

  Because it relies on inferred cognitive processes that cannot be directly observed
• How does social learning theory provide a better understanding of complex behaviors?

  By considering the role of consciousness and rationality in behavior
• What is the role of identification with models in social learning theory?

  We are more likely to imitate models we identify with, such as those with similar characteristics
• What is the impact of high-status models on imitation?

  We are more likely to imitate models we perceive as high status
• What is the difference between live models and symbolic models?

  Live models are people we know, while symbolic models are characters from media
• What does the term 'internalized' mean in the context of social learning theory?

  It refers to the retention of learned information for future use
• How does Bandura's research contribute to social learning theory?

  It provides evidence for concepts like modeling, imitation, and vicarious reinforcement
• What is the significance of the one-way mirror in Bandura's study?

  It allowed the experimenter to observe children's behavior without being seen
• What did Bandura find regarding boys' imitation of aggression?

  Boys were more likely to imitate aggression when observing a male model
• What did Bandura's 1965 study demonstrate about vicarious reinforcement and punishment?

  Children who saw an adult punished were less aggressive towards the Bobo doll
• What is a limitation of Bandura's Bobo Doll study regarding aggression?

  It only shows short-term effects of social learning on aggression
• How does social learning theory differ from behaviorism in terms of understanding behavior?

  Social learning theory considers cognitive processes, while behaviorism focuses on observable behavior
• What is reciprocal determinism according to Bandura?

  It is the idea that behavior and environment influence each other
• What is the impact of a child working hard for a test according to reciprocal determinism?

  It can lead to positive outcomes like praise from a teacher, influencing future behavior
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