Social learning theory

• Assumptions-

  • development of the behaviourist approach
  • learns behaviours in a social context
  • learning occurs directly from classical and operant conditioning
• Vicarious reinforcement-

  • reinforcement which is indirectly experienced
  • occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
• Meditational processes role-

  • mental processes play a role in learning, they meditate whether a new response is needed
  • process of: attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation
  • first 2 are learning, last 2 are performance
• Identification-

  • imitation of people you identify with
  • having a role model then ‘modelling’
  • role models are similar to the person, and have desirable quality of height/status/attractive.
• Bandura’s research-

  • woman beating up a bodo doll, with a child watching
  • child then left to play with the doll and repeated the behaviour that they had seen (aggressive)
  • children then behaviour more aggressive towards toys
  • Bandura and Walter’s- aggressive adult, praised/punished/no consequences, when alone 1st and 3rd showed more aggression
• Evaluations-

  • CPS- recognises cognitive factors, classical/operant conditioning are inadequate alone
  • CPW- ignores biological factors, biological differences make learning potential, determined by environment, observational- result of mirror neuron's allowing imitations
  • S- real world application through cultural differences in behaviour and how cultural norms are transmitted through media
  • W- lab studies criticised by demand characteristics- Bodo dolls are supposed to be punched, limited application to learning of daily life
• Social Learning Theory-

  Mediation process-

  • Occur between the stimulus and response being an internal cognitive process that influences learning
  • Attention - extent of which behaviour is noticed
  • Retention - how well it’s remembered
  • Motor reproduction - ability to perform
  • Motivation - rewards and costs weighing