Social learning theory

• Evaluation: Real-world application (strength)


  SLT principles have been applied to a range of real-world behaviours.

  SLT is able to explain cultural differences in behaviour. SLT principles can account for how children learn from the others around them.

  Explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies - proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours.

  Increases the value of the approach as it can account for real-world behaviours.
• Evaluation: Contrived lab studies (limitation)

  Evidence on which it's based on was gathered through lab studies.

  Many of Bandura's ideas were developed through observations in the lab.

  Lab studies are often criticised for their contrieved nature where ppts may respond to demand characteristics.

  Main purpose of the Bobo doll is to hit it, children were simply behaving in a way that they though was expected.

  Research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life.
• Evaluation: Cognitive factors (strength)


  Recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning.

  Neither classical or operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of learning on their own.

  Humans and animals store information about the behaviour of others and make a judgement about when it's appropriate to perform certain actions.

  SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning, recognises the role of mediational processes.
• Bandura's Bobo doll experiment

  A) The child watches an adult act aggressively towards the doll, the child imitates the adult's behaviour.

  - Adult is punished for their behaviour - child doesn't imitate actions.

  - Adult is praised for their behaviour - the child will act aggressively towards the doll.

  - Adult behaviour has no consequences - child exerts medium levels of aggression.
• Role model


  A person the is seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer, are attrasctive, or have high status.

  Dont need to be physically present in the environment.
• Modelling


  Imitation of the role models behaviour.
• Identification


  People are more likely to imitate people they identify with, these are called role models.
• Motivation


  The will to perform the behaviour, often determined by whether behaviour was rewarded or punished.
• Motor reproduction


  The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
• Retention


  How well behaviour is remembered.
• Attention


  The extent to which we notice certain behaviours.
• Mediational processes

  Attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation.
• Imitation


  Copying the behaviour of others.
• Vicarious reinforcement


  Reinforcement which isn't directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.
• Assumptions

  Behaviour is learned from experience.

  People learn through observation and imitation of others.

  Learning occurs directly and indirectly.