Social learning approach

• Social Learning Theory AO1

  • Bandura agreed with the behaviourist approach that learning occurs through experience, however he also proposed that learning takes place in a social context through observation and imitation of others’ behaviour.
  • In order for social learning theory (SLT) to take place, someone must ‘model’ an attitude or behaviour.
• Social learning theory AO1

  • A model provides an example of behaviour that can be observed and later copied.
  • Imitation is the process of copying an observed behaviour and is more likely to occur when identification takes place.
  • Children are more likely to identify with and learn from models who are similar to them (e.g. similar age or gender) and also with those who they look up to (I.e. role models like parents or teachers.
  • Children who observe a model receiving rewards for their behaviour are much more likely to imitate their behaviour. This is known as vicarious reinforcement.
• Mediational (cognitive) processes play a crucial role in learning

  For imitation to take place, four mediational processes must first occur:

  1. Attention - whether the behaviour is noticed
  2. Retention - whether the behaviour is remembered
  3. Motor reproduction - whether the individual is able to carry out the behaviour.
  4. Motivation - whether they have the will to perform it. They are more likely to have the will to perform it if they see the model being rewarded - vicarious reinforcement.
• Bandura’s research 1

  Children watched either:

  • An adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll
  • An adult behaving non-aggressively towards a Bobo doll

  When given their own doll to play with, the children who had seen aggression were much more aggressive towards the doll

  This suggests that children are likely to imitate acts of violence if they observe these in an adult role model.
• Bandura’s research 2

  Children saw adult who was: 

  • Rewarded
  • Punished
  • There was no consequence

  When given their own doll, the children who was the aggression rewarded were much more aggressive themselves.

  This suggests that modelling aggressive behaviour is more likely if such behaviour is seen to be rewarded (vicarious reinforcement)
• • One strength of SLT is the application to criminal behaviour
  • Akers (1998) found that the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour increases when they are exposed to models who commit crime
  • Therefore, if an individual identifies with a criminal model and develops an expectation of positive consequences for their own criminal behaviour, they are likely to copy this behaviour
  • This matters because it allows psychologists to understand and identify factors that lead to criminal behaviour and consequently suggest strategies to reduce crime
• • Another strength of SLT is the research support for identification
  • Fox and Bailenson (2009) found that humans are more likely to imitate computer generated ‘virtual’ humans who were similar to them, in comparison to those who were dissimilar
  • This demonstrates the importance of identification in SLT and suggests that humans are more likely to imitate the behaviour of models who are similar rather than dissimilar
• • Another criticism of SLT is the issue of complexity
  • SLT explains the development of specific behaviours as a result of observing and imitating specific role models
  • However, children are exposed to many different influences which interact in a complex way. These include genetic predisposition, media portrayals, etc which may all influence how a child behaves
  • This matters because it is difficult to separate the effects of SLT from the many other factors that also influence behaviour
• • A final strength of SLT is the application to health campaigns
  • Andsager et al. (2006) found that when individuals perceive a model to be similar to them in an anti-alcohol advert, the message of the advert is more likely to be effective
  • Health campaigns therefore try to match characters that model the desired behaviour with the target audience to increase the level of identification, making it more likely the target audience will imitate the healthy behaviours
  • This suggests that SLT has had a positive impact on health promotion campaigns