Social learning theory

• What are the assumptions of SLT

  • they agree with behaviourists that our learning is a direct experience
  • learning occurs through observation and imitation of others
• What are the mediational processes

  • Attention
  • retention
  • motor reproduction
  • motivation
• explain attention - mediational processes

  • When an individual focuses on a particular behaviour or attitude being displayed by a model
• Explain retention - mediational processes

  • When such behaviour or attitude is coded into an individuals memory
• Explain motor reproduction - mediational processes

  This is when we believe that we can perform the behaviour or attitude seen
• Explain motivation - mediational processes

  • The behaviour or attitude is carried out if the rewards outweigh the costs
• Define mediational processes

  These are thoughts and beliefs that mediate between observation and action
• How does SLT take place

  • Identification
  • modelling
  • imitation
  • vicarious reinforcement
• Explain identification

  • Imitation is more likely to occur if the individual is someone that they admire, who then becomes a model
  • a person is likely to be a model if they possess similar characteristic, hold a high status or are attractive to the observer
  • e.g gender , similar age or older, likeable etc.
• Explain modelling

  • A model refers to an individual that children look up to or admire
  • for SLT to be carried out the model must perform a behaviour or attitude that can be imitated by later on
• Explain imitation

  • This is when the observer copies the behaviour or attitude that they have observed their model carry out
• Explain vicarious reinforcement

  • Children who observed a model rewarded rather than punished were more likely to copy that behaviour
  • individuals learn about consequences of actions and adjust their behaviour accordingly
• Which study is used in SLT


  Bandura et al - Bobo doll study
• What is the aim of banduras study

  To demonstrate that behaviours are not necessarily innate but rather are acquired through social learning
• What is the procedure of banduras study

  • 36 boys and 36 girls were divided into 3 groups
  • group A - observed a non aggressive adult model for 10 mins
  • group B - they observed an aggressive adult model for 10 mins
  • group C - the control group did not observe a model but were allowed to play with the toys
• What did bandura find

  • Group A displayed very little aggression towards the bobo doll
  • 70% of group A showed no aggression at all
  • the highest levels of aggression were displayed by the children participating in group B
• What were the gender differences found in banduras study

  • Male participants imitated male models more and female participants imitated female models more
  • boys displayed on average a higher level of physical aggression than girls
  • 270 male aggressive acts compared to 128 showed by female participants
  • however there was no real gender difference related to verbal aggression
• What are the evaluations of SLT

  • real life application
  • emphasises the role of mental processes
  • controlled lab studies used which increases the risk of demand characteristics
• Real life application

  • Modelling and vicarious reinforcement can be used within education
  • identification can be used for marketing
• Emphasis on the role of mental processes

  • SLT highlights that cognitive factors are involved when decision making
  • e.g includes mediational processes
  • behaviourists don’t take this into account
• Lab experiments increase the risk of demand characteristics

  • Bandura
  • as the children did not know the aim of the study, they may have believed they were supposed to carry out the actions of their model
  • lacks internal validity