social learning theory

• what type of approach is the social learning theory

  a learning approach
• how many assumptions are there in the social learning theory

  2
• what is the first assumption of social learning theory

  learning takes place by observing and imitating role models
• how came up with the first assumption

  Bandura
• what did bandura argue about how we learn

  he argued that we learn indirectly from other people in our environment, by observing what they do, then imitating what we see
• what side of the debate does the first assumption sit on

  the nurture side of the debate
• what did bandura assume about how we learn behaviour

  that behaviour could be learned by modelling
• how many types if modeling are there

  2
• what are the 2 types of modelling

  • a role model demonstrates a behaviour to an observer (eg mum/dad screaming when they see a spider)
  • the observer then imiates what they have seen (eg child screams when they see a spider and develops a phobia)
• what does imitation mean

  the action of using someone or something else as a model and coping/imitating the behaviour observed
• who conducted a study for the first assumption of social learning theory

  Bandura's bobo doll study
• what was the aim of the bobo doll study

  bandura conducted a lab observation to investigate whether children will observe and imitate a role model acting aggressively towards a bobo doll
• what was the method of banduras bobo doll study

  • one group of children observed an adult behaving in an aggressive way towards a bobo doll, the adult hits the doll with a hammer and shouts abuse as it (experimental condition)
  • a second group of children observed an adult behaving in a non-aggressive way towards the doll (controlled condition)
  • the children were then observed one at a time alone in a room with the doll and various toys
• what were the results of banduras bobo doll study

  children who observed the aggressive adult were more aggressive to the doll than the children who had watch the non-aggressive adult
• what is the conclusion of banduras bobo doll study

  i can conclude that children learn aggressive behaviour due to the observation and imitation of a role model
• why might there be demand characteristic in banduras bobo doll study

  the children may interpretate the behaviour of the role model as instructions of what they need to do and therefore this is not there natural behaviour
• what is a research methods strength of Banduras bobo doll study

  • lab experiment - high control of variables (EV) therefore can establish cause and effect
  • standardized instructions and procedures - the experiment can be repeated
• what are some research method limitations of Bandura's bobo doll study

  • lab experiment - low ecological validity. the experiment takes place in an artificial setting and therefore produces artificial behaviour and can't be generalized to everyday life
  • demand characteristics - the children may interpretate the role models behaviour as instructions and therefore imitate them
• what did bandura believe about behaviour

  behaviour that was reinforced would be repeated whereas behaviour that was punished would be extinguished
• what did bandura argue about reinforcement and punishment

  could be vicarious
• what is vicarious

  this is reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour and this is a key factor in whether behaviour is learned and imitated
• what is an example of vicarious reinforcement

  a younger sibling observes an older sibling getting money for doing chores around the house and the younger sibling wants to do it as well
• what happened in the Bandura and Walter study

  • one group of children saw an adult role model being rewarded for being aggressive to a bobo doll
  • a second group saw an adult being told off for being aggressive to the doll
  • a third group saw the adult behaving non-aggressively towards a bobo doll (control group)
  • when observed the first group were most aggressive, followed by the third group and then the second
• what was the conclusion of Bandura's and Walters study

  it shows that vicarious reinforcement effects the learning of a child when obserbig and imitating a role model. if the role model is rewarded aggression increases, if the model is punished the aggression decreases
• is social learning theory nature or nurture

  nurture as Bandura says we learn indirectly from our role model in our environment and makes no reference to our biology
• what is the second assumption of learning theory

  there are 4 mediating cognitive processes (thought processes) between observing and imitating
• what are the 4 mediating processes

  • attention
  • retention
  • motivation
  • motor reproduction
• what is attention in the mediating process

  focus on what the role model does such as did the observer pay attention to what the role model did?
• what is retention in mediating process

  remember what the role model did such as did the observer remember what they observed
• what is motivation in mediating process

  want to imitate the behaviour observed such as does the observer want to imitate the role models behaviour
• what is motor reproduction in mediating process

  be physically able to produce the behaviour such as is the observer psychically able to imitate the behaviour
• do the 4 mediating processes affect imitation

  yes all 4 factors must be met for imitation to occur
• what does social learning theory acknowledge humans have

  as Bandura claims we need to be motivated to imitate a role model, SLT acknowledges that humans have free will
• what are 3 strengths of SLT

  • the law of learning developed by social learning theorists have real life application and this theory can explain the development of phobias
  • it has been used to develop a treatment method of phobias as the ideas of modelling are used in conjunction with behaviorist treatments
• how can SLT explain the development of phobias

  SLT is the belief that learning take place through the observation and imitation of a role model, therefore is a child observes a role model having a phobia of a spider the child may imitate it
• what did bandura also identify about role models (identity)

  he also argued that we are more likely to be motivated to imiatte a role model if we have identified with them
• what is identification

  when an observer makes a specific attachment to a role model and want to possess the same qualities and characteristic
• what is an example of the characteristics in identification

  • love
  • talent
  • friendship
  • fame
  • happiness
  • confidence
• what are the research methods advantages of SLT

  • tend to use lab studies to study behaviour - high controlled environment means that we can control for variables and establish cause and effects, also allows bandura to explain the the aggressive behaviour
  • standardised procedures are used meaning it can be replicated, same amount of time to obserb the role model and time with the bobo doll, same intrustions and same doll
• what are the research method disadvantage

  • low ecological validity - they are going to produce unnatural behaviour and cannot be generalized to real life
  • demand characteristics - may intpreat the actions of the role model as instructions, such as the fact bobo dolls are meant to be hit