6. SLT

• Albert bandura and aggression - AO1


  - Acknowledges that behaviour can be learned directly through mechanisms of operant conditioning -involving positive and negative reinforcing as well as punishment

  - He also understood that not all forms of behaviour could be explained in this way

  - He further argued that there were indirect ways of learning behaviour through observational learning which accounts for social learning of the most aggressive type of behaviour
• Observational learning and vicarious reinforcement - AO1

  - Children acquire aggressive behaviours through observing aggressive model

  - parents, siblings, peers or characters in the media

  - Children can work out how the aggressive behaviour is performed

  - As well as overserving - they are further able to observe the consequences of that behaviour

  - If the model aggressive behaviour is rewarded (or not punished) then the child can see that behaviour as effective in getting what they want

  Known as vicarious reinforcement -more likely for a child that is observing aggressive behaviour more likely to imitate and emulate how it's done
• Parrel from of indirect learning - AO1

  - vicarious punishment

  - if model use of aggressive behaviour to achieve a goal is punished

  - observing child less likely to imitate behaviour
• CognItive control of behaviour - AO1

  - Banuras four cognitive conditions which are needed for observational learning

  - Attention - observer must pay attention model aggressive actions

  - Retention - observer needed to remember the models action s

  - Reproduction - observer must be able to physically carry out the aggressive behaviour

  - Motivation - observer needed a reason to imitate the behaviour
• Self - efficacy - AO1


  - Refers to the extent to which we believe our actions will help us achieve our desired goal

  - A child's aggressive tendences will grow as they learn that aggression can bring them rewards

  - Sense of self-efficacy will continue to develop with each successful outcome

  - If aggressive behaviour has a positive effect in the past they will continue in the future
• Bandura et at (1961) - AO1


  - conducted world-famous bobo doll study which illtreats the way SLT allows for more aggressive behaviour in children
• Bandura et at (1961) - Procedure - AO1


  - Young children observed adult model assaulting bobo doll

  - Model exhibited aggressive behaviours like hitting with mallet, kicking and throwing

  - Also accompanied with violent outbursts

  - Children then unable to play with toys they liked

  - Taken to another room with bobo dolls
• Bandura et at (1961) - Findings - AO1


  - Without any instructions many of the children imitated the behaviour they had observed

  - Including the violent outbursts

  - Large closeness in behaviour - children behaved in the exact way they observed like using the same phrases and objects

  - Control group which observed model interacting on non-aggressive ways to with doll - exhibited little to no aggressive behaviours towards doll
• Supporting research - 😊

  - Poulin and Boivin (2002)

  - Applied social learning analysis behaviour in boys aged 9 to 12

  - Most aggressive boys formed relationships with other aggressive boys

  - These friendships were lasting, stable and mutual reinforcing of aggressive behaviour

  - The boys further used their alliances to gain resources through aggressive behaviour - successful

  - They were therefore exposed frequently to models of aggression -each other - as well as the positive consequences of it

  - Gained reinforcement from the rewarding approval from the rest of the gang

  - This is precisely the type of conditions that SLT predicts with lead to aggressive behaviour
• Can not explain all aggression/ better theories out there - 🙁

  - Two very broad categories of aggression - reactive (angry)and proactive(calculated)

  - Children who are proactively aggressive have high levels of self-efficacy; they are the aggressors that use aggression as a way to achieve their goals.

  - Therefore, proactive aggression is the one best explained by SLT

  - When it comes so reactively aggressive children, they use aggression in the heat of the moment. More hostile and do not achieve anything apart from retribution.

  - Reactive aggression may be better explained by Berkowitz's negative effect theory
• The benefits of non-aggressive model - 😊

  - Some practical applications of SLT

  - People are not passive recipient of reinforcement bur active influencers of their own environments

  - People can shape their own aggressive behaviour by selecting and creating their surroundings - reciprocal determinism

  - Understanding this aspect of SLT has some practical benefits

  - One way that aggression can be reduced is to break this cycle where participants chose environments which reward their behaviour

  - This can be done by encouraging aggressive children to form relationships with children who are not so aggressive

  - This would give them a chance to model behaviour that is non-aggressive