SLT

• what is SLT?

  Theory that behaviour is learned through observing others- imitating rewarded behaviours and avoiding punishable ones
• what are the 5 key aspects of SLT?

  • modelling
  • imitation
  • identification
  • vicarious reinforcement
  • mediational processes
• what two types of model are there?

  • live
  • symbolic
• what three things determine the imitation of a behaviour?

  • characteristics of the model
  • observer's perceived ability to perform that behaviour
  • observed consequences of that behaviour
• who studied the process of vicarious reinforcement?

  Bandura et al
• what are mediational processes?

  • formation of mental representations of the behaviour displayed by the model
  • assessment of the probability of different future outcomes as consequences of that behaviour
  • individual might display learned behaviour if positive outcomes are more likely than negative ones
• describe research by Bandura et al

  PROCEDURE:

  • kids (half to each condition) exposed to a non aggressive/aggressive adult with bobo doll
  • aggressive model- physical and verbal aggression (eg- "POW!") . Following this, kids were frustrated at being shown toys they weren't allowed to play with, then taken to room with bobo doll

  FINDINGS:

  • aggressive model = aggressive kids
  • 1/3 who observed aggression were verbally aggressive, none of the non-aggressive condition kids were verbally aggressive
  • follow up study, Bandura and Walters found kids who saw model rewarded for being aggressive were more likely to imitate behaviour
• evaluation of SLT?

  • 😊 applications in understanding criminal behaviour- Akers- people who see criminals rewarded (exposure to criminal models) are more likely to carry out same behaviour (Sutherland's DAT)
  • 😊 support for identification- Fox and Bailenson- computer generated model similar to the self results in more engagement in exercise in 24 hours than dissimilar model
  • ☹️ behaviour is complex with influences from many sources- eg- SLT emphasises the importance of gender-specific modelling, ignores other factors like genetic predispositions, locus of control, which all interact with each other, can't determine identification with gender and therefore SLT as main causal influence
  • 😊interaction between determinism and free will- implies behaviour is determined from environmental influenes, but we choose when to imitate observed behaviour based on consequences
• what 3 cognitive processes occur during mediational processing?

  1. attention- careful analysis of the action to be copied- committed to STM
  2. motivation- person considers own ability to perform same action- result of how much they identify with model + the perceived similarity
  3. retention-person then tries to remember the action so they can do the same as a result of being vicariously reinforced by model being rewarded