Social learning theory

• Assumptions of SLT

  • People are manipulators of their own environment 
  • Learning occurs through observation of models
  • learning can take place without reinforcement
  • Uses cognitive processes that intervene between stimulus and response
• What are the mediational processes?

  • Meditational processes cognitive factors that influence learning 
  • Attention- seeing behaviour  (role model is most influential)
  • Retention - remembering behaviour Motor
  • reproduction- ability to perform behaviour 
  • Motivation- the will to perform behaviour (often determined by the consequence)
• Bobo doll experiment 1

  • Group 1 observed women playing with toys and acting aggressively towards bobo doll
  • Group 2 observe the same woman playing with all the toys the same
  • when playing with the toys group 1 acted aggressively towards the bobo doll
  • this shows modelling, the child is imitating the behaviour they see
  • Observational learning and imitation
• Banduras bobo doll experiment 2

  • all groups saw a video of an adult behaving aggressively towards bobo doll
  • Group 1 saw the adult praised
  • group 2 saw the adult punished
  • group 3 saw no consequence
  • When playing with the same toys group 1 showed the most aggression
  • group 2 show the least aggression
  • This shows vicarious reinforcement - seeing others rewarded for behaviour so imitate
• vicarious reinforcement

  • reinforcement which isn’t directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else be reinforced for a behaviour
  • The learner observes the behaviour, but more importantly, the consequence
• A03 - explains cultural differences in behaviour

  • a strength is that SLT can explain cultural differences in behaviour
  • The principles such as modelling, imitation and reinforcement can account for how children learn from others around them
  • explains how cultural norms are transmitted
• A03 - using lab studies for evidence

  • Although lab studies are highly controlled
  • participants may respond to demand characteristics
  • for example, the main purpose of the doll is to strike it so the children were simply behaving in a way they thought was expected
  • The research may tell us little about how children learn in every day life
• A03 - ignores biological differences in boys and girls

  • SLT suggests that we learn from experiences, it ignores other biological and physical factors.
  • boys are usually more aggressive due to their high levels of testosterone which is linked to increase aggressiveness.
  • its not a complete explanation for SLT