Social Learning Theory

• Social Learning Theory is similar to behaviourism: it says that behaviour comes from experience (as with behaviourism) but also through observation and imitation within a social context.
• Vicarious Reinforcement is indirect learning when observing others: Behaviours performed by others are seen to be rewarded or have good consequences, so the learner is more likely to imitate the behaviour.
• Mediational Processes are the mental factors affecting learning.
• The 4 Mediational Processes are:

  • Attention - Whether the learner noticed the behaviour
  • Retention - Whether the Learner remembered the behaviour
  • Motor Reproduction - The Learner's ability to perform the behaviour
  • Motivation - Whether the Learner is motivated to imitate the behaviour
• Identification is a factor in learning which states that a person is more likely to replicate the behaviour of role models or people who have similar or attractive characteristics (e.g. same status or higher status)
• Social Learning Theory criticises Behaviourism because classical and operant conditioning ignore the role of the 4 mediational processes.
• Bandura's Bobo Doll study tested the effect of aggressive modelling on children: Children individually watched someone beat up a bobo doll. Afterwards, the children repeated the behaviour and even used the same techniques to harm the doll. The children who were exposed to aggressive modelling even has an increased attraction to guns even though guns weren't a part of the modelling .
• A criticism of Bandura's experiments is that they were conducted in a lab, which could mean that children were only doing what they thought was expected of them in the experiment.
• Social Learning Theory accounts for more free will than Behaviourism
• Social Learning Theory accounts for cultural differences.