Social Learning Theory

• SLT agrees with behaviourist, that learnt experience is a source of behaviour, but also looks into internal mental processing
• Imitation


  Observed behaviours, if rewarded, are more likely to be repeated (vicarious reinforcement), and less likely to repeat if punished (vicarious punishment)
• Modelling


  Other people act as the blueprint for our behaviours
• Identification


  Models with characteristics we relate to are more likely to have their behaviours replicated by the individual
• Mediational Processes


  Cognitive process between stimuli and response

  • Attention - notice behaviour
  • Retention - remember behaviour
  • Motivation - rewards / costs
  • Motor Reproduction - repeat behaviour
• Bandura (1961)


  Bobo doll experiment using 72 3-5yr olds matched on aggression levels

  • 2 Videos: Adults acting nice, Adults acting aggressive
  • Found that children were likely to imitate the behaviours seen, and more likely if they were same gender
• (+) A03: Lab Study

  Bandura's study used controlled variables and demonstrated behaviour was imitated, producing a cause and effect relationship between them
• (+) A03: Cultural Differences


  Explains behaviours in cultural differences due to their surroundings, such as what the media is showing, influencing how people act in society
• (-) A03: Not Observable

  Cognitions in SLT aren't directly observable, compared to the behaviourist approach which focuses on the effect of the measurable stimuli, can't directly link behaviours
• (+/-) A03: Real Life Application

  Can be applied to scenarios such as offenders learning their behaviours to commit a crime, through socialisation, however is too simplistic to explain complex behaviours for full justification of crimes