approaches: social learning theory

• what did bandura agree with?

  the concepts of both classical and operant conditioning
• what did bandura believe about behaviour?

  that we could learn it through the observation and imitation of others
• what are the basic assumptions of slt?

  based on the same principles as reinforcement but does not focus on learning through personal experience and instead through others
• what processes are involved in slt?

  models are observed and imitated. imitation is more likely to occur if vicariously reinforced and we identify with the model
• what are the mediational processes?

  attention, retention, reproduction, motivation
• what is attention?

  did we notice the behaviour
• what is retention?

  can we remember the behaviour to imitate it
• what is reproduction?

  Are we physically able to imitate it
• what is motivation?

  can we be bothered to imitate it and is there a sufficient reward
• what is the support of slt?

  the bobo doll experiment
• what is the counter of slt?

  many of bandura’s ideas were developed through observations of young children’s behaviour in highly controlled settings thus causing demand characteristics
• what is the alternative of slt?

  mirror neurons (biological)
• what are the applications of slt?

  it has influenced the development of youth programs that use mentorship or peer leadership models which rely on social modelling to teach youth about positive behaviours and to encourage healthy and positive decision making through modelling of those behaviours
• what are the issues and debates of slt?

  less reductionist than traditional learning theory and ethics in bandura’s experiment (learning aggression)