social learning theory

• Social learning theory assumes behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of the behaviours of others.
• Social learning theory was developed by Albert Bandura
• observational learning is when we learn by observing and imitating the behaviour of others
• Imitation is when someone copies the behaviour of a model exactly
• Modelling is when someone performs a behaviour which is imitated
• Identification is when an individual is influenced by another because they see themselves as similar to the model or wish to be like them.
• Vicarious reinforcement is when someone imitates a model because they observe the model's behaviour being rewarded
• Vicarious punishment is when someone observes a model's behaviour being punished, and therefore they are less likely to imitate the behaviour
• A learner is less likely to imitate a model’s behaviour if they observe vicarious punishment, but more likely to imitate the behaviour if they observe vicarious reinforcement.
• mediational processes are the mental processes that determine whether or not we imitate a model's behaviour.
• mediational processes include attention, retention, reproduction and motivation
• A behaviour must grab our attention for it to be imitated. The memory must be retained in order for the observer to repeat it. Reproduction is the physical ability to imitate behaviour. Motivation is the rewards and punishments that follow a behaviour which will be considered by the observer.
• Bandura conducted a lab experiment on children aged 3-6 to examine the role of a model on influencing an observer's behaviour.
• Bandura (1961) had 3 conditions: One group watched an adult model aggressive behaviour, one group watched an adult model non-aggressive behaviour, and the third group didn’t watch an adult at all.
• Bandura (1961) found that children are more likely to act aggressively if they observe an adult modelling aggressive behaviour. Boys were more likely to imitate behaviour if they observed a model of the same gender because they identify with them more.
• Bandura repeated the experiment to determine if vicarious reinforcement affects behaviour. He found children were more likely to imitate a model’s aggressive behaviour if the model received a reward of sweets than if the model received a punishment.
• More holistic than behaviourist approach. SLT incorporates more factors into its explanation of learning than behaviourist theories, such as the role of mediational processes. This is positive as it provides a more comprehensive explanation of behaviour.
• Real world applications of identification. The approach can explain the imitation of certain behaviours, such as why someone would start smoking. This is positive as it has had practical applications.
• Low internal validity. SLT is based on Bandura (1961) bobo doll study which used matched pairs design, as a result, he couldn't match for every participant variable. This is a limitation as it undermines the research that supports the theory.
• SLT is not a full explanation for all behaviour. For example, behaviour that is displayed when there is no model present. This is a limitation as it ignores other causes of behaviour and cannot provide a comprehensive explanation for all behaviour.