social learning theory

• what is observation

  active process where the observer focuses their attention on the modelled behaviour and watches it
• what is attention

  attention placed on observed behaviour of a role model - someone who has desirable traits to you (e.g: older, stronger, more money)
• what is retention

  recall of observed behaviour
• reproduction

  behaviour is replicated in appropriate situation
• motivation

  to repeat behaviour because of vicarious reinforcement (e.g: smiles)
• what is vicarious reinforcement

  involves learning through observation of the consequences of actions for other people - when a learner observes someone they identify with and the role model receives reinforcement, learner motivated to imitate the behaviour as if they had been reinforced themselves
• strength

  • supported by many studies
  • banduras 1965 study demonstrates that if the model was given a reward for their actions, children were more likely to imitate the aggression
  • behaviour can be acquired by observation and imitation and vicarious reinforcement affects likelihood of imitations
• weakness

  • competing research evidence
  • genetic factors important in term of learning - kendler et al (2015) found that identical twins had higher concordance rates in their aggression than non-identical twins so suggests individual differences in aggressiveness may be explained by genetic factors not just modelling
  • SLT may be an incomplete explanation for learning aggression
• strength

  • can explain the effect of media violence on aggression
  • commentators have linked murder of james bulger to the two 10yr old murderers watching films like childs play 3 imitating violent aggression in the film
  • SLT useful as it predicts how actions shown on TV can shape behaviours of viewers