What are the assumptions of the social learning theory?
People learn through observation and imitation of others. There are important mental processes which mediate between stimulus and response. SLT suggests that learning occurs indirectly.
What is vicarious reinforcement?
The learner observes a behaviour and the consequences of it. If the observed consequence is positive, the learner will be more likely to perform the action.
What are mediational processes?
The thinking which occurs between observation of behaviour and imitation of it. It explains the important role of how cognitive factors are involved with learning.
What are the four mediational processes?
The four mediational processes are:
Attention - the extent to which we notice behaviour
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
What is identification?
People (especially children) are more likely to imitate people they identify with. The person they identify with is called the role model and the process is called modelling. A person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer.
