Social learning theory

• Direct learning :

  • Bandura’s SLT acknowledged that aggression can be directly learned through operant conditioning (positive/negative reinforcement and punishment)
  • E.g. A child who angrily snatches a toy learns aggression brings rewards – direct positive reinforcement
• Indirect Learning: Observational Learning and Vicarious Reinforcement:

  • Observational learning explains most aggressive behaviour
  • A child observes models (e.g. Parents) being aggressive and works out how aggressive behaviour is performed
  • Children also observe the consequences of a model’s aggressive behaviour – if it is rewarded the child learns aggression can be effective in getting what they want
• Cognitive Control of Aggressive Behaviour

  Four cognitive conditions are needed for observation learning to take place:

  • Attention: observer notices model’s aggressive actions
  • Retention: observer remembers model’s aggressive behaviour and forms symbolic mental representations of it
  • Reproduction: observer must be able to actually reproduce the modelled behaviour
  • Motivation: observer imitates behaviours if they have an expectation that behaving aggressively will be rewarding
• Self - efficacy :

  • Self-efficacy is the extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal
  • A child’s confidence in their ability to be aggressive grows as they learn that aggression can bring rewards
  • E.g. A child who regularly hits others to get a toy learns they have the motor skills to do so and this ability comes easily to them
• Bandura et al. (1961) – Bobo Doll Study

  Procedure

  • Young children individually observe an adult model playing with toys, including an inflatable plastic toy called a ‘Bobo doll’
  • Some children observed the model behaving aggressively towards the doll (e.g. Throwing, kicking, plus verbal outbursts). Some children observed the model acting non-aggressively with the doll.
  • Children were then taken to another room where there was a Bobo doll and other toys including ones the model had used
• Bobo doll study findings :

  • Children in the ‘aggressive model’ condition imitated the behaviour they observed
  • The closeness of the imitation was often remarkable, a direct copy including using specific objects and verbal phrases used by the models
  • Children in the ‘non-aggressive model’ condition showed almost no aggression later
• AO3:

  • strength of the SLT explanation of aggression is that there is supportive research evidence
  • Poulin and Boivin (2000) found most aggressive boys (9-12 years old) formed friendships with other aggressive boys – ‘training grounds’ for anti-social behaviour
  • This means they were exposed frequently to models of physical aggression (each other) 
  • They were also subject to positive reinforcement as they gained resources through their aggressive behaviour
  • This shows that aggression increases in precisely the conditions predicted by SLT
• AO3:

  • limitation of SLT is that it cannot explain all forms of aggression
  • Children who show reactive aggression (angry, impulsive) are hostile, suspicious of others and do not use aggression to achieve anything except revenge in the heat of the moment
  • Therefore, they are not subject to direct reinforcement (positive reinforcement) because they are not achieving a reward by behaving aggressively
  • This behaviour is therefore harder to explain from a SLT perspective, and may be better explained by negative affect theory (the idea that negative emotions trigger aggression)
• AO3:

  • strength of SLT as an explanation of aggression is that it highlights the benefits of non-aggressive models
  • For example, a way to reduce aggression is to encourage aggressive children to form friendships with children  who do not habitually behave aggressively
  • Providing children with models of non-aggressive behaviour is a practical benefit of understanding aggression is a social learning process, leading to a reduction in violence
• AO3:

  • strength of the SLT explanation of aggression is its useful real life applications
  • Huesmann and Eron (2013) argue that media portrayals of aggressive behaviour can be powerful influences on a child’s acquisition of aggression
  • This is especially true if a media character is rewarded for being aggressive (vicarious reinforcement)
  • Such effects support the predictions of SLT and can be applied to reducing aggressive behaviour by providing non-aggressive models in the media
• AO3:

  • limitation of SLT is that it has difficulty explaining cultural differences in aggression
  • Different cultures have different norms about which behaviours should be reinforced
  • In some cultures (e.g. The Kung San), the social norm is to NOT behave aggressively, so there aren’t any aggressive models for children to observe and vicarious reinforcement is rare
  • However, Kung San people still do occasionally behave aggressively
  • Aggressive behavior may be more instinctive than social learning, suggesting a biological approach may be a more valid explanation for this cultural phenomenon.