social learning theory

• Social learning theory is based on the idea that we learn from observing others around us
• Strength of social learning theory is that it explains how people acquire behaviours without being directly rewarded/punished
• Both social learning theory and behavioural approach believe behaviours are learned and strengthened through reiforcement
• vicarious reinforcement is when a person learns a behaviour by observing another person and then imitating them, its a form of indirect learning
• the 4 meditational processes in the SLT are: attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivations
• in the SLT the mediational process attention refers to the extent to which we notice certain behaviours
• in the SLT the mediational process retention refers to how well the observed behaviour is remembered
• in the SLT the meditational process motor reproduction refers to the ability of the individual to perform the behaviour
• in the SLT the meditational process motivation refers to the observers will to perform the behaviour, this is often determined by if the behaviour was punished or rewarded
• An evaluative point of SLT is its real life applications of how it can account for how children learn through the media
• • The likelihood of the observed behaviours being imitated is increased if the role model has seen to be vicariously reinforced or rewarded 
• in social learning theory, learning occurs in the following stages: observer identifies themselves with a model, usually of same sex or older than them, role model displays a specific behaviour, which is then imitated with the observer
• • Mediational processes are the cognitive processes between stimulus and response: attention, retention, motivation and motor reproduction 
• Real-Life Applications: SLT has informed many areas, e.g. media influence on behavior. Understanding that people imitate what they observe has led to age ratings on movies/games and careful consideration of the role of violent models in media. 
• Underestimates Biological Factors: One limitation is that SLT under-emphasizes innate biological influences. In Bandura’s Bobo doll experiments, for example, boys consistently showed more physical aggression than girls, regardless of the experimental condition​.Bandura attributed this to social factors (like differential reinforcement for aggression in boys vs girls). However, the robust gender difference hints at biological factors (e.g. hormonal differences such as testosterone levels) playing a role in aggression​.