approaches: social learning theory

• What is behaviorism classed as?

  Behaviorism is classed as a learning theory.
• How do we learn according to behaviorism?

  We learn due to stimuli response mechanisms through interaction with our environment.
• What happens when we experience a reward for our behavior?

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

  Punishment is likely to stop us from repeating a 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 theorists have to include that behaviorists rejected?

  They had to include internal mental processes.
• Who is the most prominent social learning theorist?

  Albert Bandura is the most prominent social learning theorist.
• What is the name of Bandura's famous study?

  The Bobo Doll Experiment.
• What do social learning theorists argue about human behavior?

  Human behavior is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context.
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Vicarious reinforcement is when we are more likely to imitate a behavior after seeing someone rewarded for it.
• What is vicarious punishment?

  Vicarious punishment is when we are less likely to imitate a behavior after seeing someone punished for it.
• Who are the people we observe in social learning theory called?

  They are called models.
• What are live models?

  Live models are people we know personally, such as parents and friends.
• What are symbolic models?

  Symbolic models are behaviors modeled in the media, like characters from movies and books.
• What factors influence whether we imitate a model?

  We are more likely to imitate models we identify with and those we see as high status.
• What are mediational processes?

  Mediational processes are cognitive processes that occur between seeing a model perform a behavior and imitating that behavior.
• What are the four mediational processes?

  Attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.
• Why is attention important in the mediational processes?

  Attention is important because you must watch carefully 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 in the mind.
• What is reproduction in the context of mediational processes?

  Reproduction is the internal mental process of thinking if one can perform the behavior.
• What does motivation involve in the mediational processes?

  Motivation involves considering if one wants to reproduce the behavior based on potential rewards or punishments.
• How do mediational factors affect behavior?

  If any of the four mediational processes are missing, then the behavior won't be imitated.
• What example illustrates the mediational processes in social learning theory?

  • Kate sees Alice push Billy and take his sweets.
  • Attention: Kate pays attention to the action.
  • Retention: Kate remembers the action.
  • Reproduction: Kate thinks she can push Alice.
  • Motivation: Kate wants sweets, so she pushes Alice.
• How do behaviorists view learning and performance?

  For behaviorists, learning and performance are the same activity.
• How do social learning theorists view learning and performance?

  Social learning theorists believe learning and performance are not the same thing.
• What does Bandura's research aim to demonstrate?

  Bandura's research aims to demonstrate social learning concepts of modeling and imitation.
• What age group were the participants in Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment?

  The participants were children between the ages of three and six.
• What were the two groups in Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment?

  One group saw an aggressive model, and the other group saw a non-aggressive model.
• What did Bandura find regarding children who observed aggressive models?

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

  Boys who observed a male model were more likely to imitate aggression than those who observed a female model.
• What did Bandura's 1963 variation study demonstrate?

  It showed that symbolic models are imitated similarly to live models.
• What did Bandura find in his 1965 variation study regarding vicarious reinforcement and punishment?

  Children who observed an adult punished were far less aggressive than those who saw rewards or no consequences.
• What are the strengths of Bandura's Bobo Doll study?

  • High internal validity due to controlled environment.
  • Used matched pairs design to control for participant variables.
  • Demonstrated key concepts of 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 social learning not assessed over time.
  • Inferences about mediational factors may not be accurate.
• 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 is reciprocal determinism according to Bandura?

  Reciprocal determinism is the idea that behavior is influenced by the environment and vice versa.
• How does a child's hard work affect their environment according to reciprocal determinism?

  A child's hard work can lead to positive outcomes, such as praise from a teacher.
• What are the implications of social learning theory for education?

  • Emphasizes the importance of role models in learning.
  • Suggests that positive reinforcement can enhance learning.
  • Highlights the need for a supportive social environment.