Learning approaches

• What are the key assumptions of the social learning theory?

  -We learn by observing and imitating others in social contexts

  -Learning occurs as a result of indirect experiences, we don't need to be directly reinforced for behaviours

  -Considers the important mediational processes that occur between response and stimulus
• Who is seen as the main psychologist of the social learning theory?

  Albert Bandura
• What are the 4 mediational processes?

  Attention

  Retention

  Reproduction

  Motivation
• Describe the process of attention

  Person must be focused on the model/task they are observing
• Describe the process of retention

  Remember the information in order to imitate it in our long-term memory. We can use this behaviour later and apply it to similar situations
• Describe the process of reproduction

  Ability to perform a behaviour we have seen a model demonstrate (assess our own self-efficacy)
• Describe the process of motivation

  Desire to copy behaviour influenced by rewards/punishments that follow the model's behaviour (vicarious reinforcement)
• Define modelling

  Model carries out a behaviour and we observe their example
• Define imitation

  We may reproduce the behaviour if the patterns of behaviour can be acquired rapidly
• Define identification

  We must feel they are similar to us. It is important as it suggests we are likely to experience the same reinforcement/consequences as the model
• Define vicarious reinforcement

  When we see a model reinforced for their behaviour and this either increases or decreases the likelihood of imitation
• Describe Bandura's research

  The Bobo Doll Experiment

  • 36 boys and 36 girls aged 3-6 years old
  • There were 3 conditions:
  • 1: Saw the adult behave aggressively toward the doll
  • 2: Saw the model do nothing toward the doll
  • 3: Control - there is no model present
  • All participants were then put in the room with the doll and left to play for 20 minutes

  The most aggression was exhibited by the boys who had been exposed to a male model