Social learning theory

• What is behaviorism classed as?

  Learning theory
• How do we learn according to behaviorism?

  Through stimuli response mechanisms and interaction with our 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
• What question do social learning theorists like Albert Bandura ask regarding learning?

  Do we need to experience rewards and punishments ourselves to learn?
• What do social learning theorists argue about observing others?

  Seeing others rewarded or punished is enough to learn how to modify our own behavior
• What did social learning theory include that behaviorists rejected?

  Internal mental processes
• What are the defining features of social learning theory?

  • Learning occurs through observation and imitation
  • Models influence behavior
  • Includes cognitive processes
  • Vicarious reinforcement and punishment
• Who is the most prominent social learning theorist?

  Albert Bandura
• What was the aim of Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment?

  To demonstrate social learning concepts of modeling and imitation
• What age group participated in Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment?

  Children between the ages of three and six
• What did children observe in the aggressive model group of the Bobo Doll Experiment?

  An adult playing with a Bobo doll with physical and verbal aggression
• What was the result of the Bobo Doll Experiment regarding aggression?

  Children who observed an aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive themselves
• How did boys' imitation of aggression differ based on the model's gender in Bandura's study?

  Boys were more likely to imitate aggression from a male model than a female model
• What did Bandura's 1963 variation of the study demonstrate?

  Symbolic models can also be imitated
• What was the focus of Bandura's 1965 study?

  The power of vicarious reinforcement and punishment
• What did Bandura find regarding children who observed adults being punished?

  They were far less aggressive towards the Bobo doll
• What are the strengths of Bandura's Bobo Doll study?

  • High internal validity due to controlled environment
  • Used matched pairs design to control for aggression levels
  • Provides evidence for modeling and vicarious reinforcement
• What are the weaknesses of Bandura's Bobo Doll study?

  • Lacks external validity; findings may not generalize to real-life situations
  • Short-term effects of aggression only observed
  • Relies on inferences about mediating cognitive factors
• How does social learning theory differ from behaviorism regarding learning and performance?

  Social learning theory states learning and performance are not the same activity
• What is reciprocal determinism according to Bandura?

  Behavior is influenced by the environment, and the environment is influenced by behavior
• What is the role of mediational factors in social learning theory?

  Mediational factors are cognitive processes that occur between observing a model and imitating their behavior
• What are the four mediational processes in social learning theory?

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

  You must pay attention to reproduce a behavior
• What does retention refer to in the mediational processes?

  Retention refers to the memory of the behavior that must be retained
• What is reproduction in the context of mediational processes?

  Reproduction is the ability to think about whether one can perform the behavior
• What does motivation involve in the mediational processes?

  Motivation involves considering the potential rewards or punishments of performing the behavior
• How does social learning theory explain the delay in behavior imitation?

  Learning can be internalized and used at a later time
• What is the significance of Bandura's research in social learning theory?

  • Demonstrates modeling and imitation
  • Provides evidence for vicarious reinforcement and punishment
  • Highlights the role of cognitive processes in learning
• What is a limitation of the findings from Bandura's Bobo Doll study?

  They only show short-term effects of social learning
• Why might the findings of Bandura's study lack ecological validity?

  Because aggression in a lab setting may not generalize to real-life situations
• What is a criticism of the use of inferences in social learning theory?

  Inferences about mediating factors may not accurately reflect true influences on behavior
• How does social learning theory compare to behaviorism in terms of understanding human behavior?

  Social learning theory offers a more detailed understanding by including consciousness and rationality
• What complex behaviors does social learning theory better explain compared to behaviorism?

  Complex behaviors such as aggression
• What is the concept of reciprocal determinism?

  It suggests that behavior and environment influence each other
• What does Bandura argue about the relationship between behavior and environment?

  They influence each other
• How does Bandura's view of determinism differ from simple environmental determinism?

  Bandura's view is more complex, considering the interaction between behavior and environment
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