Social Learning Theory

• Bandura


  Psychologist who derived the social learning theory and conducted the Bobo Doll experiment
• Assumptions: SLT


  Behaviour is learned through experience (nurture over nature)

  We learn through observation and imitation of others

  We can learn directly or indirectly
• Factors affecting identification


  Gender, age, status, attractiveness
• Role Models

  People we identify with and imitate
• Vicarious Learning

  Indirect learning that occurs when we observe someone else's behaviour and learn through the consequences
• Mediational Processes

  The bridge between behaviourism and the cognitive approach

  Attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation
• Attention


  The extent to which we notice other's behaviour - more likely to pay attention to role models
• Retention


  How well we can remember the behaviour we've paid attention to - more likely to remember if we like the behaviour
• Motor Reproduction


  Evaluation of our own ability to copy the behaviour - if too easy or too hard we may not try
• Motivation


  Wanting to reproduce the behaviour (valued reward)
• When did Bandura do his Bobo Doll experiment?


  1961
• Aim of Bandura's research

  To find out if children would change their level of aggression based on whether they observed an aggressive or non-aggressive role model
• Bandura's Experiment


  72 children split into 3 groups (aggressive role model, non-aggressive role model, control)

  48 children in experimental groups of 6 (3 boys, 3 girls) - half saw same sex role model, half saw opposite

  Aggressive role model was violent towards to Bobo doll (hit it with a mallet, made noises eg POW)

  Children then sent into another room with toys that they weren't allowed to play with, making them frustrated

  Then sent into room with other toys and Bobo doll

  Children who saw aggression were more aggressive
• Bandura's Conclusion


  Behaviour can be learned by imitation even if it hasn't been reinforced (contradicts Skinner's operant conditioning)
• Bandura DV


  Level of aggression in child
• Evaluation: SLT


  Emphasises importance of cognitive factors eg judgement - rather than comparing humans to animals

  Explains cultural differences - imitate what you see

  Over-reliance on lab study evidence may have demand characteristics

  Underestimates biological influences (Bandura: boys more aggressive than girls not explained)
• Boys were more aggressive than girls in Bandura's experiment