Social Learning Theory

• basic assumptions of SLT?

  1. mental/cognitive processes are essential in learning (mediating cognitive factors).
  2. we identify w/people who are acting as models, this leads to observational learning.
  3. identification involves a desire to be like them and therefore a desire to imitate them.
  4. reinforcement doesn’t need to be direct but can be done vicariously (seeing others being reinforced).
• what research methods are used by SLT and why?

  1. lab exps.
  2. controlled observations
  3. controlled, naturalistic observations
  4. content analysis

  why they are used:

  • highly controlled, easy to replicate – more reliable.
  • easy to manipulate the variables.
  • scientific approach.
  • allows psychologists to view the learning in the context that it takes place e.g. schools, play groups etc. (naturalistic)
  • content analysis allows for scrutiny of secondary media like magazines and is therefore easier and quicker.

  SLT tends to focus their research on aggression and how children learn aggression.
• what is the main difference between the behaviourist and the SLT approach?

  • behaviourist approach focus on stimulus and response and disregard anything in between because it cannot be studied objectively and scientifically (in their opinion) and therefore is ignored.
  • SLT believe that the processes in between should be considered although they’re not studied!

  behaviourist: input (stimulus) - output (response/behaviour)

  SLT: input (stimulus) - mediating cognitive factors - output (response/behaviour)
• SLT researchers use human p's NOT animals. why?

  mediating cognitive factors are internal mental processes that lie between the stimulus and response.

  • in SLT, these are the factors that affect whether learners identify with models, imitate them and how they respond to reinforcement.
  • this can't be studied in animals.
• what was the aim of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  1. to examine effect of continual influence of the model.
  2. to examine if the sex of the model influenced same-sex and opposite sex p's to a differing degree.
• what was the method of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  1. 36 male, 36 female p's. age ranged from 37-69 months, mean age = just over 4.
  2. two adults (a male and a female) served the role of model. there were 8 experimental groups (6 p's in each). 1/2 the groups observed an aggressive role model and the other 1/2 saw non-aggressive behaviour from their role model. groups then subdivided by gender and whether model was the same or opposite sex of the p's.
  3. p's were put into a room one at a time and observed the role model's behaviour.
  4. after witnessing behaviour, child was then taken to another room to play w/bobo doll.
• what were the results of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  • found that the children who had observed aggressive behaviour acted more aggressively when observed and that boys acted more aggressively than girls.
  • there was also a greater level of imitation of behaviour if the role model was the same gender as the child.
• what were the conclusions of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  there is a behavioural effect from observing aggressive behaviour and that this behaviour continues after a delay.
• what are the strengths of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  • cause and effect established- was highly controlled and extraneous variables could been removed.
  • highly controlled- replicable + reliable.
  • massively groundbreaking- 1st SLT study.
  • supported bandura's theory that children learn social behaviours from watching/imitating others.
  • informs us about gender differences and gender socialisation.
• what are the weaknesses of bandura's bobo doll study (1961)?

  • ethnocentric/cultural bias- only children in the USA.
  • not longitudinal- effects of social learning are only short term in the exp, difficult to see long-term effects on children.
  • highly controlled- could have been the result of confirmation bias; bandura was testing his own theory.
  • lacks ecological validity, can't be generalised to real life.
  • imitation of behaviour was expected to happen immediately- doesn't always happen in real life.
  • issues w/interpreting behaviour as we are all being influenced by behaviour. most people would hit a bobo doll as that is their designed purpose. affects validity of their performance.
• what is self efficacy?

  our belief that we are able to do/achieve something. we have to be able (to some extent) to do what our role models do.
• why someone might not imitate a behaviour?

  attention, retention, motivation, reproduction (lack self efficacy) identification.
• behaviour in schools (applying SLT to the real world):

  • vicarious reinforcement, positive reward/negative punishment, e.g. award ceremonies, certificates.
  • praise and punishment where appropriate – students learn vicariously about appropriate and undesirable behaviour, star charts/student of the week displayed to class – others vicariously reinforced.
• addiction such as alcoholism (applying SLT to the real world):

  when we watch a parent/role model engage in behaviour, e.g. drinking, we learn how to drink.

  • expectations are also a part of social learning. if you have an expectation that alcohol/drugs will have positive rewards then you are more likely to engage in the behaviour of drinking/using drugs.
  • if people do not have the self-efficacy they may struggle to stop.
• conformity/obedience (applying SLT to the real world):

  • positive reward
  • positive punishment
  • role models
  • identification
• what are mediating cognitive factors?

  thought processes that lie between stimulus and response.
• what are the similarities between SLT and behaviourist approach?

  • focus on learning from environment and experience being rewarded/punished.
  • nurture side of nature/nurture debate so can't be studied scientifically.
  • the need for reinforcement for behaviour to continue. 
• what factors might be important for us to see someone as a role model and therefore identify with them?

  gender, similarities, attractiveness, authority, age.
• why might someone not imitate a behaviour?

  • attention – may not be paying attention
  • retention – may not retain the information, didn’t store the information to memory.
  • motivation – do not identify with the reward/reinforcement and so it doesn’t motivate them to copy behaviour.
  • reproduction – lack self-efficacy.
  • identification – do not identify with/look up to them and so not motivated to imitate their behaviour.
• how this differs from the behaviourist approach – (why someone might not imitate a behaviour)?

  SLT CAN explain why a behaviour isn’t always reproduced.
• what are the stages of SLT?

  1. model
  2. identification
  3. attention
  4. retention
  5. direct/vicarious reinforcement (motivation)
  6. reproduction
• what is a model?

  from the observer's perspective, modelling is imitating the behaviour of a role model.
• what is identification?

  when an observer associates themselves w/a role model and wants to be like the role model.
• what is attention?

  individuals must 1st pay attention to the behaviour they are observing. this requires focus and concentration on the model's behaviour.
• what is retention?

  the ability to retain/remember what you have observed and committed to memory.
• what is vicarious reinforcement (motivation)?

  reinforcement which isn't directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. key factor in imitation.
• what is direct reinforcement (motivation)?

  occurs when you perform a certain behaviour and are rewarded (positive reinforcement) or it leads to the removal/avoidance of something unpleasant (negative reinforcement).
• what is reproduction?

  you perform the behaviour that you observed and committed to memory.
• strengths of SLT approach?

  • principles have been applied to a range of real-world behaviours.
  • has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour.
  • recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning.
  • flexible- can explain diff behaviours and learning and how our environment can change over time.
  • multiple learning methods = allows for learning through observation or direct experience.
  • life-long learning = supports idea that the brain is elastic and people are always learning/growing.
• weaknesses of SLT approach?

  • doesn't study cognitive factors, only mentions them.
  • makes too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning.
  • evidence which it was based was gathered through lab studies (p's may change due to demand characteristics).
  • doesnt account for accountability- places too much weight on the environment, assuming behaviour is determined by society, not how a person processes info. (deterministic)
  • can't observe mediational processes- these processes aren't directly observable, so the scientific method can't be used to study them.