Social Learning Theory (SLT)

• Assumptions


  Bandura agreed with behaviourists - behaviour is learned from environment.

  rests on observational learning - learning occurs through observation & imitation of role models.
• Role Models


  more likely to be imitated if child/adult identifies with them.

  most likely if the model is similar to them e.g. age or gender, or if the model is powerful/influential e.g. celebrities or parents.

  behaviour bringing a reward/reinforcement to a role model is most likely to be copied by the observer -> vicarious reinforcement.
• Role of Mediational Processes

  1. Attention - extent to how we notice certain behaviour

  2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered and stored in our memory.

  3. Motor Reproduction - ability of the observer to perform the behaviour e.g. child wants to imitate the skill of a footballer but lack necessary ability required to reproduce behaviour.

  4. Motivation - will to perform such behaviour, often determined by whether behaviour is rewarded or punished.
• Which meditational processes are related to learning?

  Attention

  Retention
• Which meditational processes are related to performance?

  Motor Reproduction

  Motivation
• Bandura et al - Bobo Dolls - AIM

  - wanted to investigate whether aggression could be acquired through modelling and see whether children were more likely to imitate same sex role models.

  - lab experiment.

  - independent groups study.

  - 72 children - ages 3-6yrs.

  - Stanford University

  - 3 conditions - each containing 24 children (12 boys and girls)
• Bobo Dolls - PROCEDURE

  - 2 groups exposed to adult models behaving aggressively or non-aggressively -> half seeing same-sex model, other half seeing opposite-sex model.

  - control group saw no model.

  - non-aggressive -> adult assembled toys for 10mins, ignored Bobo doll.

  - aggressive -> 1min of assembling, then model attacked Bobo doll.

  sat on, punched, hit with a mallet -> sequence was performed 3 times over 9 minutes, included aggressive comments.

  - children were observed for 20mins.

  - films were analysed -> particular attention for imitative aggression, partial imitation, non-imitative aggressive and aggressive gunplay.
• Bobo Doll - RESULTS

  - children exposed to aggressive models imitated their behaviour and significantly more aggressive then non-aggressive condition.

  - greater effect on boys than girls.

  - boys -> physically aggressive.

  - girls -> verbally aggressive.
• Bobo Doll - CONCLUSION

  - observation and imitation can account for learning specific aggressive acts without reinforcement of model or observer.

  - observers have a greater tendency to imitate same-sex role models
• Strength - Useful Applications

  - made a valuable contribution to psychology.

  - strong evidence that range of behaviours involve social learning including aggression, food preferences and smoking addiction.

  Akers - suggests that probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour increases when they are exposed to role models who commit criminal behaviour.
• Strength - Treatment Implications

  - led to effective treatments for phobias.

  - based on modelling encourages patients to learn a more appropriate response to a feared object or situation by observing and imitating a role model's reaction.
• Weakness - Lacks Ecological Validity

  - theory is based on research from a lab.

  - artificial controlled environment of a lab, behaviour measured weren't the same as genuine aggression towards another human.

  - can't assume the children would act aggressively towards another child.

  - questionable whether the findings can be generalised to real-life situations.
• Weakness - Demand Characteristics

  - may lack internal validity as children may have experienced aggressive characteristics.

  - setting was unfamiliar to children and were exposed to unusual behaviour from role model.

  - puzzling to children who would expect aggressive behaviour to be commented on and stopped.

  - children may believe such treatment of bobo doll was acceptable.

  - suggests methodological flaws in research, limiting the extent it provides valid support for SLT.

  - difficult to generalise the findings to real-life.
• Weakness - Over-Simplistic

  - focuses exclusively on processes of social learning, ignoring other potential influences on behaviour.

  - findings of Bandura's study was boys were often more aggressive than girls.

  - could be explained by hormonal factors -> differences in testosterone levels (linked with aggressive behaviour).

  - role of genetics is ignored - boys who inherit the XYY abnormality display higher levels of aggression than boys with XY.

  - complexity of human behaviour, a holistic approach is needed to consider influential factors on behaviour.