Social learning theory

• What is social learning theory?


  A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors.
• What is vicarious reinforcement?


  Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. This is a key factor in imitation.
• What are mediational processes?

  Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response.
• Four mediational processes in learning were identified by Bandura:

  1. Attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours.
  2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered.
  3. Motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour.
  4. Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour.
• What is identification?

  When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model.
• AO3 - The importance of cognitive factors in learning:

  Humans and animals store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions. SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes.
• Bandura's research

  Bandura et al. (1961) recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a Bobo doll. When these children were later observed playing with various toys, including a Bobo doll, they behaved much more aggressively towards the doll and the other toys than those who had observed a non-aggressive adult.
• A03 - Over-reliance on evidence from lab studies:

  Many of Bandura's ideas were developed through observation of young children's behaviour in lab settings. Lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics.
• AO3 - Underestimates the influence of biological factors:


  One consistent finding in the Bobo doll experiments was that boys were often more aggressive than girls regardless of the experimental situation. This may be explained by hormonal factors, such as differences in levels of testosterone, a hormone that is present in greater quantities in boys than girls and which is linked to increased aggressive behaviour.
• AO3 - Explains cultural differences in behaviour:

  Social learning principles can account for how children learn from other individuals around them, as well as through the media, and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies.