Social Learning Theory

• Who proposed the social learning theory?

  Bandura
• How did SLT propose people learn?

  Through observation and imitation of others
• SLT suggested learning occurs directly and indirectly
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
• What is vicarious reinforcement a key factor for?

  Imitation
• How does indirect learning take place?

  An individual observes the behaviour of others
• When does imitation only occur?

  If the behaviour is seen to be rewarded
• What is SLT described as?

  The 'bridge' between behaviourism and the cognitive approach
• Why is SLT described as the 'bridge' between behaviourism and the cognitive approach?

  Focuses on how cognitive factors are involved in learning
• What four mediational processes were identified by Bandura?

  Attention

  Retention

  Motor Reproduction

  Motivation
• Attention


  The extent to which we notice certain behaviours
• Retention


  How well the behaviour is remembered
• Motor reproduction


  The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
• Motivation


  The will to perform the behaviour, often determined by whether it was rewarded/punished
• What is attention?

  The extent to which we notice certain behaviours
• What is retention?

  How well the behaviour is remembered
• What is motor reproduction?

  The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
• What is motivation?

  The will to perform the behaviour, often determined by whether it was rewarded/punished
• What do "Attention" and "Retention" relate to?

  The learning of behaviour
• What do "Motor reproduction" and "Motivation" relate to?

  The performance of behaviour
• Unlike behaviourism, the learning and performance of behaviour don't have to occur together
• Observed behaviours may be stored by the observer and reproduced at a later time
• What is identification?

  Where people are more likely to imitate people they identify with
• What is the process of imitating a role model?

  Modelling
• What is modelling?

  Imitating a role model/the behaviour of a role model
• When does a person become a role model?

  If they're seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive
• What was Bandura's first study?

  Recorded behaviour of children who watched an adult behave aggressively towards a Bobo doll
• What was Bandura's second study?

  Showed children videos where adults behaved aggressively towards a Bobo doll; Group 1 saw them praised, Group 2 saw them punished and Group 3 saw no consequence
• Which aspect of SLT does study A illustrate?

  Observational learning and imitation
• What aspect of SLT does study B illustrate?

  Vicarious reinforcement
• What were the findings in Study A?

  Children who'd observed an aggressive adult behaved more aggressively
• What were the findings in Study B?

  Group 1 showed more aggression, followed by Group 3 then Group 2
• What is the Social Learning Theory?

  A way of explaining behaviour including both direct and indirect reinforcement