Learning Approach (social learning theory)

• According to Social Learning Theory (SLT), how is behavior learned?

  Through observation and imitation within a social context
• How does SLT differ from traditional behaviorism?

  SLT acknowledges cognitive processes in learning
• What type of reinforcement involves learning by observing others being rewarded?

  Vicarious reinforcement
• How does vicarious punishment affect the likelihood of imitation?

  It makes imitation less likely
• In SLT, what are the people we observe and imitate called?

  Models
• What are the two types of models described in the text?

  Live and symbolic models
• What is the term for the feeling of connection that makes us more likely to imitate someone?

  Identification
• According to SLT, which of the following characteristics would make a model more likely to be imitated?

  High status
• What are the four mediational processes in SLT?

  • Attention
  • Retention
  • Reproduction
  • Motivation
• Which mediational process involves noticing a behavior?

  Attention
• Which mediational process involves remembering a behavior for later?

  Retention
• Which mediational process involves having the ability to replicate a behavior?

  Reproduction
• According to the text, which two mediational processes are most important for learning a behavior?

  Attention and retention
• Which mediational process is influenced by rewards and punishments?

  Motivation
• According to the text, which two mediational processes are most important for the actual performance of the behavior?

  Reproduction and motivation
• What was the Bobo Doll study designed to investigate?

  Aggression
• Who conducted the Bobo Doll study?

  Bandura
• In the Bobo Doll study, what did the children observe?

  An adult interacting with a Bobo doll
• What did the Bobo Doll study find about children who observed aggressive models?

  They showed more aggression
• Which gender was more likely to imitate male models in the Bobo Doll study?

  Boys
• What type of validity is high in the Bobo Doll study due to its controlled lab setting?

  Internal validity
• What makes Social Learning Theory a holistic explanation of behavior?

  It acknowledges cognitive factors
• What is a limitation of the Bobo Doll study in terms of the duration of observed effects?

  Short-term effects may not persist
• What is a limitation of the Bobo Doll study due to its controlled experimental setup?

  Low ecological validity
• Why are conclusions about mediational processes in SLT considered uncertain?

  They cannot be directly observed