Social learning theory

• What is the Social Learning theory?


  A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors
• What is imitation? 


  Copying the behaviour of others
• What is modelling?


  From the observers perspective, modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model. From the role model's perspective, modelling is the precise demonstration of a specific behaviour that may be imitated by an observer.
• What is Identification?


  When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
• What is vicarious reinforcement?


  Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.
• Who was Albert Bandura?

  • A famous psychologist/ famous researcher
  • Conducted research to support the social learning theory
  • These experiments became known as the Bobo doll experiments
• What did Bandura's experiment include?

  • experiment was carried out on children aged 3-5 years
  • They observed aggressive or non-aggressive adult models and were then tested for imitative learning
  • Children who observed the aggressive model reproduced a good deal of aggressive behaviour resembling that of the model
• What were the four mediational processes proposed by Bandura?

  1. Attention: the extent to which an observer notices modelled behaviour
  2. Retention: The extent to which an observer remembers a modelled behaviour.
  3. Motor reproduction: The ability of an observer to perform a modelled behaviour
  4. Motivation: The will of the observer to perform a modelled behaviour
• What is a strength of the social learning theory?


  One strength of the social learning theory approach is that it recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning.
• What is a limitation of the social learning theory? 


  One limitation of the social learning theory is that the evidence on which it is based was gathered through lab studies
• What is another strength of the social learning theory?


  Another strength of the social learning theory is that social learning theory principles have been applied to a range of real-world behaviour