Social learning theory

• assumptions

  • Behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of role models, role models tend to posses similar traits, are seen to be attractive or have high status
  • Imitation occurs if the seen behaviour is rewarded - doesn’t need to be direct
  • Observers store a mental representation of behaviour, as well as the consequences - it occurs when suitable circumstances arise
  • Lab experiments
• Mediational processes

  • thought processes that go between the stimulus and response
• Vicarious reinforcement

  • Observing the consequences someone else receives and motivating you to imitate
• Stages of the mediational process

  • Attention - the observer pays attention to a behaviour
  • Retention - a mental representation of the behaviour is stored in order for it to be later represented
  • Reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the observed behaviour (can we physically do it)
  • Motivation - the rewards and punishments that follow a behaviour to determine if the observer wants to follow the behaviour
• Concepts

  • Not an efficient way of learning complex behaviour but can be used in simple context
  • No special relationship needed between imitator and observer
  • Reinforcement - behaviour is more likely to be imitated if it’s seen as rewarding
  • Identification - a child sees themself as somehow similar to the imitator and forms a connection
  • Modelling - from the observers perspective ‘modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model, for the role model it’s seen as demonstrating behaviour that may be imitated
• Strengths

  • Emphasises the importance of cognitive factors
  • Humans and animals store info about others behaviour and use it to make judgements about when it’s appropriate to do certain things
  • Provides a more complete explanation of human behaviour than the behaviourist approach by recognising mediational processes
  • Real world application - can account for how children learn from others around them and through the media, explaining how cultural norms are transmitted
  • Gives useful understanding to a range of behaviours
• Weaknesses

  • Relies heavily on lab studies - lacks eco glacial validity as variables can be manipulated by researchers and raises the issue of demand characteristics
  • Demand characteristics - main purpose of a bobo doll is to hit it therefore the children may have been acting in a way they thought they were supposed to rather than imitating what they had observed