social learning theory

development of the approach

• Albert Bandura proposed SLT as a development of behaviourism, agreed that learning occurs through experience but argued that classical and operant conditioning couldn’t account for human learning

• he believed there are important mental processes that lie between the stimulus and response proposed by behaviours, bridge between behaviourism and cognitive

similarities and differences of SLT and behaviourism

• similarities: behaviour is learnt through experience, role of reinforcement

• differences: SLT looks forward while behaviourism looks back, distinction between learning and performance in SLT, animals aren’t seen the same as humans in SLT

similarities and differences of SLT and cognitive

• similarities: role of cognitive processes, focus on human behaviour rather than animals

• differences: observational learning not in cognitive, cognitive focuses more on cognitive processes eg schema, SLT focus on external behaviour while cognitive focuses on internal processes

assumptions of the approach

• combines principles from both cognitive and behaviours approaches

• concerned with human rather than animal behaviour

• sees people as active manipulators of their own environment not passive receivers of experiences

• learning occurs through observation and imitation of role models

• observational learning cant take place without reinforcement either direct to indirect

vicarious reinforcement

• learning through observation of role models receiving either positive or negative reinforcement

• children (and adults) observe other peoples behaviour and take note of its consequences, behaviour that is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) is more likely to be copied

mediational processes

the cognitive processes such as memory that are used in observational learning that take place between stimulus and response

2 types of models

• live model: people who are present in our environment eg teachers, parents, siblings etc

• symbolic models: people who are present in the media eg celebrities

4 meditational processes

for modelling to occur there must be

1. attention- noticing the behaviour

2. retention- remembering the behaviour

3. motor reproduction- it has to be physically possible

4. motivation- has to be some reason to want to copy the role model

first 2 relate to learning, second 2 relate to performance, unlike behaviourism learning and performance don’t have to occur together

identification

• when an individual adopts an attitude or behaviour in line with their role model

• people are more likely to imitate the behaviour of those with whom they identify, such role models are similar to the observer, attractive and have high status

Bandura’s 1960s Bobo Doll experiment- procedure

• Bandura was studying the effects of observation of a model on subsequenct behaviour

• 1961- he recorded the behaviour of your children who had either watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a bobo doll eg hit it with a hammer and shouted abuse at it, or a non aggressive way, the children then played in a room with the bobo doll and other toys

• 1963- children either saw an adult who was rewarded, punished or had no consequence

Bandura’s 1960s Bobo Doll experiment- findings

• 1961- when given their own doll to play with, the children who had seen aggression were much more aggressive to the doll, they imitated same sex adults more

• 1983- when given their own doll, the children who saw the aggression rewarded were much more aggressive themselves

• suggests children are likely to model acts of violence if they observe them in an adult role model, modelling is more likely if behaviour is rewarded (vicarious reinforcement)

• suggests mediating cognitive factors (thinking) must be intervening between observation and behaviour i.e something between stimulus and response

development of behaviour- ongoing cycle

1. behaviour is observed- behaviour is displayed by role model considered to be worth imitating, identification

2. behaviour is imitated- there needs to be self efficacy, the belief behaviour can be imitated

3. behaviour is reinforced- if the behaviour is punished it won’t be reinforced

4. behaviour is repeated- provided the outcomes are positive

5. behaviour is internalised- becomes part of the persons repertoire of behaviours

applications of SLT

1. anxiety disorders- modelling to treat disorders eg showing a model interacting happily with a phobic object, vicarious association is made between positive feelings demonstrated and the object

2. forensic psychology- social skills training may use modelling to provide offenders will skills to avoid offending behaviour

3. gender development- SLT see gender related behaviour as acquired by reinforcement, modelling and imitation

4. aggression- results from observational learning, an influential model being rewarded for being aggressive may be imitated by others

strength- emphasises the importance of cognitive factors

• neither classical or operant conditioning can offer a comprehensive account of human learning on their own as cognitive factors are omitted

• humans and animals store information about others behaviour and use this to make judgements on when its appropriate to do certain actions

• shows that SLT provides a more complete explanation of human learning than behaviourism by recognising the role of meditational processes

counterpoint of emphasises the importance of cognitive factors

• recent research suggests observational learning is controlled by mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise with and imitate others

• suggests SLT may make too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning

limitation- relies too heavily on evidence from contrived lab studies

• many of Bandura’s ideas were developed through observation of children’s behaviour in lab settings and this raises the problem of demand characteristics

• the main purpose of the Bobo doll is to hit it, so the children in those studies may have been behaving as they thought was expected

• thus the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life

strength- real world application

• social learning principles can account for how children learn from others around them and the media, this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted

• this proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours eg how children come to understand their gender role by imitating role models in the media

• increases the value of SLT as it can account for real world behaviours

strength- reciprocal determinism

• Bandura emphasised reciprocal determinism, were influenced by our environment, but we also exert an influence on it through our behaviours

• this element of choice suggests there’s some free will in the way we behave

• this is a more realistic and flexible position than suggested by behaviourism as it recognises the role we play in shaping our own environment