Social Learning Theory

• • Theory believes that human behaviour is created by the environment ( nurture )
  • But unlike behaviourists, SLT argues that role models play a big part in shaping behaviour
  • Agrees that learning occurs directly
• • Agrees that learning occurs directly ( Classical/Operant Conditioning ) but also indirectly ( observation,imitation, modelling )
• • Direct reinforcement is where a person is rewarded for their behaviour
  • Indirect reinforcement is where the role model is rewarded, observe and copy the behaviour so you are also rewarded.
• Eron ( 1995 ) - been estimated that a child entering secondary school will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 other violent acts on TV.
• Bridge’ between behaviourist and cognitive approach

  • Because it focuses on how cognitive factors are involved in learning
  • Factors mediate ( intervene ) in learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired.
• S - status

  L - likeable

  A - age

  G - gender
• To observe and imitate a model, the potential model must have status, be likeable, be a particular age and gender which is applicable to the individual.
• 4 meditational processes involved for determining whether or not we copy behaviour we have observed.

  1. Attention - extent to which we notice certain behaviours
  2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered
  3. Motor reproduction - ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
  4. Motivation - will to perform the behaviour ( usually determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished.

  The first 2 relate to learning, second 2 to performance of the behaviours.
• To determine whether we are to copy a particular behaviour, we must pay attention to it, retain it, have the appropriate motor reproduction to correctly perform the behaviour and have the motivation to do so.
• V - vicarious ( by modelling )

  D - direct ( operant/classical )

  Vicarious reinforcement is shown by modelling where as direct reinforcement is done by operant and classical conditioning.
• Vicarious Reinforcement

  • Something that is felt indirectly by imagining what another person is feeling or experiencing
  • When we observe someone else being either positively reinforced or punished for behaving in a certain way
  • Makes us want to OBSERVE and IMITATE others behaviour to receive the praise
  • Does overlap with skinner’s ideas on reinforcement, but it is about OBSERVING others being reinforced opposed to it happening directly to us.
• Identification - modelling

  1. Where person copies behaviour of a role model - person with whom they identify
  2. Can also refer to behaviour being ‘advertised’ by a model

  Person becomes role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have a high status.
• SLT has useful applications such as when it comes to understanding criminal behaviour. Akers ( 1998 ) suggests that the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour, increases when they are exposed to role models who commit criminal behaviour, they will identify with these models and develop the expectation of positive consequences when they commit their own criminal behaviour. 
•  But there are issues concerning establishing causality in which the SLT’s explanation of deviant behaviour relates to its claim that increased associations with deviant peers increases the likelihood that an individual will adopt the same values and behaviours.
• Problem when establishing causality - Siegal and McCormick ( 2006 ) suggest that young people who poses deviant attitudes and values -v low self-control, would seek out peers with similar attitudes and behaviours, as they are more fun to be with than their less reckless counterparts - cause of delinquency may not be SLT as a result of deviant role models, but the possession of deviant attitudes with deviant peers.
• This research supports Banduras theory because he argued that people can be influenced by watching other peoples actions without receiving any reward or punishment. It shows that children can learn new behaviours simply by observing them in others.
• Strength of SLT approach


  • It highlights the importance of cognitive process in learning
• Behaviourist approach


  Could be criticised for being too simplistic and reductionist by explaining human behaviour in terms of stimulus - response relationships and ignoring any internal processes
• Mediating processes


  Can account for differences in behaviours of individuals who have been exposed to the same stimuli
• Reciprocal determinism


  Humans are influenced by the behaviours they observe, but they are able to exert influence on the world through the behaviours they choose
• This shows a more complete understanding of human behaviour than simply stimulus response machines
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• Useful application to understanding criminal behaviour

  Akers ( 1998 ) suggests probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour does increase when posed to role model who commit criminal behaviour, the individual will then identify with the models and will develop the expectation of a positive consequence when they commit their own behaviour that is criminal.
• Issues establishing causality

  Deviant behaviour relates to claim that increased associates with deviant peers increase the likelihood that an individual will adopt the same values and behaviours.

  Siegel and McCormick ( 2006 ) suggests that young people ho possess deviant attires and values such as low self-control would therefore seek out peers with similar attitudes and behaviours, as they are more fun to be with than their less reckless counterparts.
• Problem of complexity

  Focusing exclusively on processes of social learning, advocates of the appreciation disregard other potential influences on behaviour e.g. in explaining development of gender role behaviour, social learning theorists would emphasise the importance of gender-specific modelling. In real life, however, a child exposed to many different influences, all of them interacting in complex ways, these include genetic predispositions, media portrayals, locus of control etc.
• Presents serious problem for researcher if virtually anything can have an influence on behaviour, it becomes very difficult to show that one particular thing ( social learning ) is the main casual influence.
• Importance of identification in social learning

  Media attempts to change health-related behaviours have shown that models similar to target audience are more likely to bing out identification and greater social learning

  To achieve this, health campaigners tried to match characters that model the desired behaviour with the target audience in terms of physical characteristics, attitudes and behaviours.
• Greater identification with the model is expected to influence modelling behaviour.

  Andsager et al ( 2006 ) found that perceived similarity to a model in anti-alcohol advertisements was positively related to the message’s effectiveness.

  Researchers suggest that some of a message’s potency may be lost if the individual finds it difficult to identify with a given model.