A03

• Strengths of SLT

  1. Takes into account thought processes
  2. Real-life applications
• Limitations of SLT

  1. Demand characteristics
  2. Underestimates influences of biological factors
• Strength = takes into account thought processes

  • Humans and animals store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions
  • Neither classical nor operant conditioning recognise these cognitive factors
  • SLT does through the role of mediational processes
• Strength = real-life applications

  • Watershed on TV:
  • In the UK programmes with violence, sexual content or obscene language are only shown after 9pm
  • Thinking behind this is that before 9pm children may be watching unattended and therefore exposed to inappropriate content which they could then imitate
• Limitation = demand characteristics

  • Bandura's studies carried out in lab settings so participants may respond to demand characteristics
  • With the bobo doll the main purpose of the doll is to strike it, therefore children could have been behaving in the way they thought was expected
  • Research may tell us little about how the children learn aggression in everyday life
• Limitation = underestimates influences of biological factors

  • Bobo doll experiment - boys were more aggressive than girls
  • Can be explained through the biological/ hormonal differences in boys and girls, since boys have a greater level of testosterone = increased aggressive behaviour
  • Bandura failed to recognise this