The Social Learning Theory

• Who created the SLT, and when?

  Albert Bandura, 1960s
• Basic Assumptions

  • Behaviour is learned through experiences

  • Learning can occur directly and indirectly

  • People can learn through observing others
• Strengths

  • Credibility (Bobo Doll)

  • Application (real world - homicide, crime)
• Limitations

  • Doesn't consider genes

  • Environmentally deterministic

  • Research support is socially sensitive
• Identification

  children recognise a person as their role model because they possess similar or desirable qualities
• Imitation

  children observe a role model's behaviour and copy
• Modelling

  children imitating behaviour of their role model, modelling to others
• Vicarious Reinforcement

  Children do not receive a reward/punishment themselves but they see their role model being rewarded/punished for their behaviour
• Mediational Processes (in between stimulus and process)

  • Attention - to a behaviour and its consequences

  • Retention - of observed behaviour in long term memory

  • Reproduction - must have ability to reproduce observed behaviour

  • Motivation - must expect to receive same positive reinforcement for imitating