social learning theory

    Cards (15)

    • Social Learning Theory (SLT)
      A more nuanced explanation of behaviourism proposed by Bandura (1972)
    • SLT
      • Takes the principles of behaviourism (people are shaped by their environment) and refines it to include the mechanisms of how people (particularly children) learn from others
    • SLT posits
      Children learn via observation of role models particularly parents but also other significant people such as teachers, older siblings, celebrities
    • SLT
      1. Child observes behaviour of role model
      2. If behaviour observed frequently, child imitates that behaviour in different contexts
      3. Child is more likely to imitate behaviour of role models with whom they identify
    • Reinforcement in SLT
      • Child observes specific behaviour from role model
      • Child sees role model rewarded for that behaviour
      • Child internalises what they have seen and is motivated to behave similarly to gain the same reward
    • Mediational processes in SLT
      • Attention-Retention-Reproduction-Motivation (ARRM)
      • Attention and retention refer to the learning of the behaviour
      • Reproduction and motivation refer to the performance/enacting of that behaviour
    • Learning and performance of the behaviour are not required to occur at the same time
    • Bandura's 'Bobo doll' study (1961)

      • Children from Stanford University nursery aged 3-6 years old were used as participants
      • Controlled observation to observe children's behaviour
      • Children had observed either a male or a female aggressive or non-aggressive model
      • Aggressive-model condition involved an adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll
      • Aggressive models used predetermined standardised aggressive behaviours
      • Children who observed an aggressive model imitated the aggression they saw, particularly when they had observed a same-sex model
      • Children who had not observed an aggressive model were not aggressive towards Bobo
    • Gergely et al. (2002) found that even very young infants have the ability to observe a model's behaviour and make inferences about that behaviour
    • Strengths of SLT
      • SLT provides a more rounded explanation of behaviours which are learned via environmental stimuli than that offered by behaviourism
      • SLT research tends to use standardised procedures within controlled lab conditions which can be replicated to check for reliability
    • Weaknesses of SLT
      • SLT does not account for innate and biological factors such as the influence of genes, hormones, brain structures on behaviour which limits its scope
      • Using lab-based research to investigate behaviour learned in social contexts lacks ecological validity as it uses artificial tasks in unnatural settings
    • The Bobo Doll Study aimed to investigate the effect of observed aggression on children's behaviour and the effect of same-sex modelling on children's aggressive behaviour
    • Procedure of Bobo Doll Study
      1. 72 participants, 36 girls and 36 boys, aged between 37-69 months
      2. Bandura asked the nursery staff to rate each child's aggression prior to the experiment
      3. Bandura used the aggression ratings to devise a matched pairs experimental design
      4. A male or female model was observed per condition
      5. Children observed the behaviour of the model for 10 minutes
      6. Children were taken to a room containing a Bobo Doll, aggressive toys and non-aggressive toys
      7. Participants were observed in the Bobo Doll room for 20 minutes
    • Strengths of Bobo Doll Study
      • Controlled observational study with a standardised procedure which means that the study is replicable and thus could be repeated to test for reliability
      • Findings fuelled much debate re: exposing children to television violence hence it has good application
    • Weaknesses of Bobo Doll Study
      • Numerous ethical issues: Asking nursery workers to rate childrens' aggression is intrusive and may have encouraged bias, some children were exposed to an aggressive adult which may have alarmed and distressed them, the aggression arousal phase may have upset the children
      • The experiment only shows short-term effects of observed aggression, making it difficult to see if there are long-term effects too
    See similar decks