SLT

• Children primarily learn their aggressive responses through observation, watching the behaviour of models and imitate their behaviour, especially if they can identify with the model displaying the behaviour. Children learn about the consequences of aggressive behaviour by watching others being reinforced or punished (vicarious reinforcement). Children witness many examples of aggressive behaviour though parents, friends and TV. By seeing the consequences, children acquire the knowledge of what is appropriate to display.
• There is also the mental representation which Bandura says must take place to decide whether they should perform particular behaviours depending on the consequences that are now expected. As long as the expectation of the award is greater than the punishment, it will be imitated. If a child themselves is rewarded for a behaviour, they are likely to repeat the action in similar situations in the future. So a child who has a history of successfully bullying other children will therefore come to attach considerable value to aggression.
• . In addition to forming expectancies of the likely outcomes of their aggression, children also develop confidence in their ability to carry out the necessary aggressive actions. Children who form this behaviour has been particularly disastrous in the past (not good at it) have less confidence (lower sense of self-efficacy) in their ability to use aggression to resolve conflicts and therefore may turn to other means.
• Bandura did a study on the SLT and aggression in children. The children ranged from 3 to 5 years. Half were exposed to adult models acting aggressively with a life-sized Bobo doll and half to non-aggressive models. The model displayed distinctive physically aggressive acts  eg striking it with a mallet and saying ‘POW’. The children were then exposed to attractive toys which they weren’t allowed to play with before being taken to a room with a toys and a Bobo doll.
• . The children in the aggressive condition reproduced a good deal of physical and verbal aggression. The non-aggressive group exhibited virtually no aggression towards the doll. 1/3rd of the children in the aggressive group repeated the models verbal responses. Boys reproduced more imitative physical aggression than girls, but they did not differ in their imitation of verbal aggression.
• Early research on SL relied on the sort of experimental study carried out by Bandura. But, there are significant methodological problems with the Bobo doll studies. 

  A doll is not a living person, and doesn't retaliate when hit. This raises questions about whether these studies tell us much about the imitation of aggression towards other human beings.

  However, Bandura then made children watch a film of an adult model hitting a live clown. The children then imitated the same aggressive behaviours, suggesting the imitation of aggressive behaviour is also likely towards other human beings.
• A study was done of ice hockey players that supports SLT.

  They analysed penalty records from 200 games of the National Hockey League, North America. believed that players born in N America would have been exposed to more aggressive models on TV when young and less likely to have been punished for aggressive play compared to players born in Europe.

  In line with these beliefs, and the SLT, Gee and Leith found that the players born in North America were much more likely to be penalised for aggressive play and fighting than players born in other countries.
• A strength of this theory is that it can explain inconsistencies in an individual's aggressive behaviour.

  A young male may behave aggressively when out with friends, but not respond in the same way when at school or at work. SLT would explain this difference in terms of the consequences from aggression in the situations. When with friends, acts of aggression may be more likely to receive positive consequences, but less likely at school or at work.

  This gives us an understanding of complex human behaviour and how social learning theory can explain some inconsistencies in aggressive behaviour.