Social learning theory

• Social learning theorists agree with the behaviourism principles stating behaviour is learnt through experiences and interactions.
• Reinforcement techniques used by social learning theorists are known as vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishments.
• Individuals we observe are referred to as models.

  • Live models include parents, family and friends.
  • Symbolic models include characters from books and movies.
• Mediational factors:

  • Social learning theorists (SLT) argue human behaviour can not be fully understood without including the role of the cognitive process that occur between stimuli and responses.
  • Mediational responses are attention, retention, reproduction and motivation that must occur between observing a model performing a behaviour (stimuli) and imitating that behaviour (response).
• Mediational processes:

  • Attention - Paying attention to said model.
  • Retention - Remembering the observed behaviours. This involves encoding the observed behaviour so that it can be retrieved later.
  • Reproduction - Individual's belief in their ability to replicate the behaviour demonstrated by the model (this depends of physical capabilities and remembered details of the behaviour).
  • Motivation - Willingness to perform the behaviour, influenced by expected outcomes (eg rewards and punishments) based on observing the consequences of behaviour in others.
• Bandura and the Bobo doll (1961):

  • Procedure - Children aged 3-6 divided into two groups. Group A observed an adult showing verbal and physical behaviour towards the Bobo doll in a room full of toys. Group B watched an adult interact non-aggressively with different toys. This was all observed through a one-way mirror.
  • Findings - Group A was more likely to be aggressive themselves. Identification among boys occurred when they saw an aggressive male rather than aggressive female model.
• Bandura - Symbolic models (1963):

  • In a condition where children were exposed to a live aggressive adult, a recording of an aggressive adult, or a cartoon featuring an aggressive cat all direction their aggression to the Bobo doll, findings showed comparable levels of aggression between all groups, whether live or symbolic, were initiated.
• Bandura - Vicarious reinforcement (1965):

  • Children witnessed adults acting aggressively towards the Bobo doll followed by them receiving rewards (sweets), punishments (hit with a wooden golf club), or neither. Findings showed children who saw the adult being punished were less aggressive than the other conditions.
• Strengths of the social learning theory:

  • Supporting evidence - Bobo doll study has high internal validity due to lab setting. Procedures were standardised. It also used a matched pairs design to control participant variables, assessing pre-existing aggression in participants so each group had an equal mix.
• Strengths of the social learning theory:

  • Less reductionist - Acknowledges the roles of consciousness and rationality, giving a more believable explanation for complex behaviours (eg aggression).
• Strengths of the social learning theory:

  • Theory of 'reciprocal determinism' - A more valid perspective than simpler deterministic approaches. Bandura argued behaviour is not only influenced by environmental factors, but also shaped it. For example, a child's study habits for a test can alter their environment (achieving A grades and receiving praise makes them motivated to increase their efforts).
• Limitations of the social learning theory:

  • Limited explanation and lacks ecological validity - Bandura's research only demonstrated short term learning theory. It was also conducted in a lab setting so may not directly translate to real-world settings.
• Limitations of the social learning theory:

  • Relies on interferences - Processes, such as identification with a model, vicarious reinforcement and mediating cognitive factors are not directly observable and rely on assumptions. These interferences may be incorrect and the true cases of behaviour may be significantly different.