Social Learning Theory

• An assumption of the SLT is that we learn behaviour indirectly through observation and imitation of others’ behavior.
• Vicarious Reinforcement is reinforcement which is not directly experienced, it occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour.
• Identification is the process where people are more likely to imitate behaviour of people with whom they identify with (role models) because they have similar/desirable characteristics.
• Modelling can occur when the observer imitates role model so essentially “models” the behaviour they observed or when a role model produces a behaviour that can be imitated by the observer.
• Motivation in learning is the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.
• Retention in learning is how well the behaviour is remembered.
• Motor reproduction in learning is the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
• Social learning theory (SLT) is often described as a bridge between learning theory and the cognitive approach because it focuses on mental (cognitive) factors in learning.
• Attention in learning refers to the extent to which we notice certain behaviours.
• An assumption of SLT is that behaviour is learnt indirectly through vicarious reinforcement.
• An assumption of SLT is that both environmental and cognitive factors influence human learning and behaviour.
• Vicarious reinforcement is a key factor in imitation.
• What are the mediational processes that occur between observing and imitation of the behaviour?

  1. attention
  2. retention
  3. motor reproduction
  4. motivation
• What is the observational learning theory?

  theory that individuals learn and adopt behaviour from observing others. 
• Method of Bandura’s first Bobo doll study?

  • Group 1: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model hitting the doll with a hammer and shouting at the doll.
  • Group 2: 12 girls and 12 boys were shown a model shown a non-aggressive model.
  • Group 3: 12 girls and 12 boys (control group) were not shown a model
• Results of Bandura‘s first Bobo doll study?

  • The children who had observed the aggressive model (group 1) were more aggressive than the children from the other two groups as they imitated specific aggressive acts that were displayed by the model.
  • Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls. 
• Conclusion of Bandura’s first Bobo doll study?

  This supports SLT as it shows that children imitate behaviour of role model even if the behaviour is aggressive.
• Method of Bandura and Walter’s Bobo doll study?

  • The bobo doll experiment was repeated, but this time the three groups were exposed to an aggressive model and saw different consequences for the model:
  • Group 1: the model was praised
  • Group 2: the model was punished (told off)
  • Group 3: no consequences for the aggressive behaviour (control group)
• Results of Bandura and Walter’s Bobo doll study?

  Group 1 showed the most aggression followed by group 3. Group 2 was the least aggressive.
• Conclusion of Bandura and Walter’s Bobo doll study?

  Shows that imitation is more likely to occur when the model is positively reinforced, demonstrating the importance of vicarious reinforcement.
• A strength of the SLT is that it acknowledges the importance of cognitive factors in learning. SLT provides a much more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes.
• A strength of the SLT is that it explains cultural differences. SLT can account for how people learn from others around them/media. This can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through societies. SLT can explain the difference of behaviour between different cultures as if a behaviour is not displayed it cannot be imitated.
• A strength of the SLT is that it is less deterministic than the behaviourist approach. Bandura states we are influenced by our environment but we can also influence the environment we are in (reciprocal determinism). This suggests there is an element of free will in how we behave.
• A weakness of the SLT is its over reliance on evidence from lab studies. Many of Bandura ideas were observed in lab environments which has the problem of demand characteristics and lacks ecological validity.
• A weakness of the SLT is that it does not consider biological influences on behaviour. The theory ignores genetic predispositions, innate behaviours and the influence of hormones. In the Bobo doll study, boys were more aggressive than girls which could be explained due to boys having higher levels of testosterone. It assumes all humans have similar abilities to learn and imitate.