Social Learning Theory

• :) RTS Bandura

  > when children observed a model acting aggressively towards a Bobo Doll, they were more likely to imitate the aggressive behaviour, whereas 70% of the children who observed a non-aggressive model or no model showed zero ratings of aggressions

  > shows how observation of behaviour can lead to imitative learning, and the importance of a role model
• :) scientific methods

  > based on objective and empirical techniques, such as Bandura's Bobo Doll lab experiment, which had high control over extraneous variables (such as using the same model in each condition)

  > increase internal validity and raises psychology's scientific status
• :) practical applications

  > the principles of the theory, that behaviour is caused by observing and imitating a model, has been used by the government to control how the media portray certain behaviours e.g. restricted the advertisement of cigarettes and alcohol to reduce this behaviour

  > important part of applied psychology
• :) soft determinism

  > considers that humans have an element of free will

  > while all human behaviour is a result of external causes (learning through observing and imitating a model), we also have the ability to make conscious decisions about whether or not to imitate a behaviour and who we choose to model behaviour from

  > could be considered superior to approaches that take a hard determinism stance