social learning theory

• Behaviour learned from experience

  People learn through observation and imitation of others
• Vicarious reinforcement


  Action repeated as someone was seen to be rewarded for it
• Mediational processes


  • Mental factors that interfere in the learning process to determine whether new response is acquired
  • Attention (how much we notice behaviours)
  • Retention (remembering information)
  • Motor reproduction (ability to perform behaviour)
  • Motivation (will to perform behaviour)
• Identification


  People are likely to imitate people they identify with, referred to as role models. When we imitate them, it's called modelling.
• Bandura's research


  • Recorded behaviour of young children who observe aggressive behaviour on bobo doll, children who watched them acted more aggressively themselves
  • Children shown videos of adult being aggressive, one group saw praise for this, and other saw punished. First group more aggressive than others.
• Bandura's research recognises importance of cognitive factors, operant and classical cannot explain learning on their own. Humans and animals store information about behaviours of others and use this to make judgements about actions. Suggests SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation to learning through mediational processes
• Bandura's research ignores biological influences on learning, research shows observational behaviour may be because of mirror neurons in brain which allow us to empathise and imitate people. Biological differences are under empathised.
• Evidence was gathered through lab studies, bandura used observations of behaviour in a lab which is criticised for its contrived nature with demand characteristics. Claimed that children were only striking bobo doll because that was purpose of doll. Therefore, research cannot be applied to real life.
• SLT principles have been applied to real world behaviours as it explains cultural differences such as how children learn from those around them including the media. This is useful in understanding how children understand their gender role which increases its value.