Social learning theory

• Who came up with social learning theory?

  Bandura
• What are the assumptions of SLT?

  Behaviour is learned through observation and experience
• What are the basic principals of social learning theory?

  Modelling

  Imitation

  Vicarious reinforcement

  Meditational processes
• What is modelling?

  The people we observe are models, they can be live (parents, peers) or symbolic (in the media). These models can be imitated
• What are the four things that whether a behaviour is imitated or not depends on?

  Attention -> the model grasps your attention

  Retention -> they are memorable

  Reproduction -> you can replicate the behaviour

  Motivation -> do you want the same outcome?
• What is vicarious reinforcement?


  We see someone else being rewarded or punished for a behaviour and we decide whether we want to do that behaviour
• What are mediational processes?

  Mental processes that involve thinking about consequences and whether they want those consequences
• What is identification?


  The extent to which we relate to another person. Little children tend to identify with same sex models
• What are the strengths of SLT?

  • Applications - can apply to behaviours in young children
  • Scientifically supported - Bandura’s bobo doll experiment
• What was Banduras bobo doll experiment?

  • Children would watch an aggressive model or a non-aggressive model play with a Bobo doll in a room
  • The children who watched the aggressive model were more likely to be aggressive towards the doll
  • Boys more likely to be physically aggressive, girls were more verbally aggressive
  • Children were more likely to imitate the behaviour of the same-sex role model
• What are the weaknesses of social learning theory?

  • Causality - they may have done the behaviour anyway. If SLT was correct there should be more criminals as many have seen criminals benefit from their behaviour
  • Reductionist - ignores other factors like genetic and cognitive factors