social learning theory

• What does Social learning theory (SLT) rest on the idea of?

  Observational learning
• What is observational learning?

  Learning occurs through the observation and imitation of behaviour performed by role models, who model behaviour in a social environment
• How is social learning theory different to the behaviourist approach?

  SLT recognises the importance of cognitive processes - mediational processes - and rejects the notion that learning is purely the outcome of a stimulus-response loop
• What is imitation?


  A term used to describe the way in which an individual copies the behaviour of a role model
• What is identification?


  Identification involves internalising and adopting behaviours shown by a role model
• Why does identification happen?

  Because they have a quality they would like to possess. They might be attractive/high status.
• What is modelling?


  Occurs when a role model produces a specific behaviour (acting as a model) that may then be imitated.
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Occurs when learners observe role models receiving positive or negative reinforcement.
• Why does vicarious reinforcement happen?

  Because the learner has observed the consequences of the behaviour, they are more or less likely to imitate it.
• What are mediational processes?

  Mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process to determine whether a new behaviour is acquired or not.
• What are four mediational processes?

  Attention

  Retention

  Reproduction

  Motivation
• What is attention?


  Whether we notice the behaviour
• What is retention?


  Whether we remember the behaviour
• What is reproduction?


  Whether we are able to perform the behaviour
• What is motivation?


  Whether the perceived rewards outweigh the perceived costs
• What are three evaluation points for Social Learning Theory?

  Supporting evidence

  Real life applications

  Issues with causality
• Who conducted supporting evidence for social learning theory?

  Bandura
• What were the conditions in Bandura's study?

  1. Saw a role model (either male or female) play aggressively with a bobo doll

  2. Saw a role model (either male or female) play non-aggressively with a bobo doll

  3. No role model
• What happened after they observed the role model?


  They took the child to another room which had various toys in it and observed them to see how they played in this final room.
• What did Bandura find with the group who observed an aggressive role model?


  Showed a lot of verbal and physical aggression that resembled the scripted routine the model had acted out
• What did Bandura find with the group who observed a non-aggressive role model or no role model?

  There was very little aggressive behaviour; around 70% had a score of zero for aggression
• What are real life applications of social learning theory?

  Social Learning Theory has been used to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of advertising
• What is a study to support the real life applications of social learning theory?

  Andsager et al. (2006) found that 'identification with a character or example may increase the likelihood that audiences will model behaviour presented in an anti-alcohol message'.
• Who devised an alternative explanation for the findings of social learning theory?

  Siegel and McCormick (2006)
• What do Siegel and McCormick (2006) argue?

  That young people who hold deviant values and attitudes are more likely to associate with similarly-inclined peers because they are more fun to be with
• Thus, what does Siegel and McCormick (2006) argue about reinforcement?

  Thus the reinforcement of 'deviant' behaviour is a two-way process and not necessarily the result of SLT itself
• What implications does the argument by Siegel and McCormick (2006) have for social learning theory?

  It is difficult to distinguish behaviours that develop because of SLT from the many other factors that contribute to human behaviour