social learning theory

• explains that learning can occur by observation, modelling and vicarious reinforcement, explains observational learning
• first, behaviour is modelled by a role model
• role model

  somebody who tends to have some importance to the learner
• how can things be modelled

  live, verbally or through tv symbols
• second, the observer identifies with the role model by connecting themselves to the model via a link
• third, the behaviour is then observed and noted, meaning the observer must pay attention to the role model
• fourth, the behaviour is imitated and so it is learnt, whether it is repeated again depends on reinforcements and rewards
• not all behaviour is imitated it depends on the model and consequences observed
• cognitive processes in observational learning

  observation -> info is attended to -> stored in memory -> motivation -> reproduction
• social learning stages

  attention, retention, reproduction, motivation
• vicarious learning

  a term used to explain that reinforcement can occur through others being reinforced
• vicarious reinforcement

  to imitate a behaviour that you've seen rewarded
• vicarious punishment

  not doing a behaviour because youve seen somebody punished for it
• vicarious extinction

  stopping a behaviour after seeing people not be rewarded for it
• modelling effect

  someone does something they have seen and would not have done otherwise
• eliciting effect

  someone watches a behaviour, copies it but does it differently
• disinhibiting effect

  behaviour is done that someone would have otherwise not thought was okay but they've seen it be done with no punishment
• inhibitory effect

  someone sees a role model punished so wont do it
• models are more likely to be imitates if similar to observers or if they are perceived as superior
• research evidence to support

  Cook and Mineka (1990) found that observer monkeys did learn a fear of snakes from observing the model monkeys show a fear of snakes, supports the idea that behaviour is learned
• weakness of Cook and Mineka

  animals used, differences between, however, monkeys used which are close to us in evolutionary terms
• support from Bandura

  children who observed an aggressive role model were more likely to be aggressive towards a bobo doll than the group with the 'kind' role model
• weakness of SLT

  can't explain how children like Little Albert could learn without role models