social learning theory

    Cards (21)

    • Who created the social learning theory?
      Albert Bandura
    • The social learning theory proposes that people learn through observation and imitation of others within a social context.
    • SLT suggests learning happens directly, through classical and operant, but also inderectly
    • 3 components of the Social Learning Theory
      • Vicarious Reinforcement
      • Mediational process
      • Identification
    • Vicarious reinforcement
      occurs when an individual observes someones behaviour be rewarded - leading to imitation
    • SLT focuses on how cognitive factors are involved in learning
    • what are the 4 mediational processes in learning identified by Bandura?
      • Attention
      • Retention
      • Motor reproduction
      • Motivation
    • Attention
      the extent to which we notice certain behaviours
    • Retention
      How well the behaviour is remembered
    • Motor reproduction
      the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
    • Motivation
      the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished
    • identification
      people (especially children) are much more likely to imitate the behaviour of people with whom they identify - role models
    • modelling
      A person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or be attractive including having high-status
    • Bandura recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave aggressively towards a Bobo doll. The adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it.
    • how did the children react after watching the adult act aggressively in the Bobo doll study?
      they behaved much more aggressively when playing with toys than those who observed a non-aggressive adult
    • 2 strengths of the social learning theory are that it is less deterministic than the behaviourist approach and explains cultural differences in behaviour.
    • How is SLT less deterministic than other approaches?
      • Bandura emphasised reciprocal determinism: we are not merely influenced by our external environment but we also exert influence upon it
      • there is some free will in the way we behave
    • How can SLT explain cultural differences in behaviour?
      • principles can account for how children learn from other individuals around them, media
      • explaining how cultural norms are transmitted through societies
      • useful in understanding a range of behaviour, such as children understanding their gender role
    • 2 Limitations of SLT are that there is an over-reliance on evidence from lab studies and it underestimates the influence of biological factors
    • how does research into the SLT have an over-reliance on lab studies?
      • lab studies are criticised for their contrived nature - causing demand characteristics
      • suggested that the main purpose of a BObo doll is to strike it, the children were just acting in a way they thought was expected
    • How does the SLT underestimate the influence of biological factors?
      • one consistent finding of the Bobo doll was that boys were often more aggressive regardless of the specifics
      • may be explained by hormonal factors (testosterone which is linked to aggression)
      • this important influence of behaviour is not accounted for
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