social learning theory

who is Bandura?

a learning theorist but not strictly a behaviourist as his theory also considers the thought processes that underlie our behaviour

how does Bandura challenge Skinner?

• he challenges Skinner’s idea that reward + punishment will prompt or stop a behaviour automatically

• he argues that reinforcers + punishments merely inform the individual of likely consequences + its down to the individual as to whether their behaviour is affected by the potential consequences

why is this theory sometimes referred to as social cognitive theory?

due to its acknowledgement of mediational processes

outline Bandura’s basic idea of how we learn behaviour ie the key idea of SLT

• we learn behaviour by observing the positive + negative consequences of someone else’s behaviour

• this means we learn the behaviour vicariously → we don’t receive the reward or punishment ourselves, the person modelling the behaviour does

• they are referred to as the role model

outline the 2 basic assumptions of the SLT

1. behaviour is learned from the environment + thus genetics do not influence behaviour

2. behaviour is learned from observing others + the reinforcement or punishment they receive → from these experiences, individuals will decide whether to imitate the behaviour or not

give the 4 terms that demonstrate the process of SLT

• identification

• modelling

• imitation

• vicarious reinforcement

define identification

when an individual is influenced by another because they are in some way similar to that person or they wish to be like them (they identify with the model) → individuals are much more likely to imitate the behaviour of people with whom they identify

give some of the factors that influence the choice of model (to identify with)

same gender + ethnicity, higher status + greater expertise → these do not all need to be present but identification does not occur unless there is a reason

what is modelling + how does it relate to SLT?

• modelling is observing the behaviour of a role model

• an individual might observe a live model eg parent, teacher or they might copy a symbolic model eg a character on TV

• these models provide examples of behaviour that may be imitated at a later stage

define imitation

this is the term used to describe when an individual observes behaviour from a role model + copies it

what are the key determinants whether a behaviour is imitated?

• the characteristics of a model

• the observer’s ability to perform the behaviour

• the observed consequences of the behaviour

what is vicarious reinforcement?

• this is the term used to describe the reinforcement the observer sees the model receiving

• they do not receive the reward themselves, they see someone else get it

what does vicarious reinforcement result in?

• a reinforcement, eg a reward, makes a behaviour more likely to be imitated

• it is more likely a rewarded behaviour is copied than a behaviour that is punished

why is SLT not strictly a behaviourist approach?

as it does not look solely at behaviour, it also considers cognitive processes

explain how SLT considers cognitive processes

the theory suggests there is some thought prior to imitation that intervenes between stimulus + response (meditational processes)

what are the 4 meditational processes documented by Bandura?

Attention

Retention

Motor reproduction

Motivation

outline the process of attention

• for a behaviour to be imitated we have to notice it

• we observe many behaviours on a daily basis + many of these are not noteworthy

• attention is therefore pivotal to whether a behaviour will be imitated

outline the process of retention + its importance

• the behaviour may be noticed but its not always remembered, which obviously prevents imitation

• its important therefore that a memory of the behaviour is formed for it to be imitated later by the observer

• much of social learning is not immediate so this process is especially vital in those cases

• even if the behaviour is reproduced shortly after it there needs to be a memory to refer to

outline the process of motor reproduction + how it influences imitation

• we see lots of behaviour on a daily basis that we would like to be able to imitate but that’s not always possible

• we are limited by our physical ability + for that reason even if we wish to reproduce the behaviour, we cannot

• this influences our decision whether to try + imitate it or not

outline the process of motivation + how it influences imitation

• the desire to perform the behaviour

• the rewards/punishments following a behaviour will be considered by the observer

• if the perceived rewards outweigh the perceived costs then the observer will be more motivated to imitate it

• if the vicarious reinforcement is not seen to be important enough to the observer then they will not be motivated to imitate the behaviour

give the supporting evidence for SLT

Bandura’s research → Bandura’s Bobo doll study (1961)

give the aim, method, results + conclusion of Bandura’s study

Aim:

• To examine if children will imitate an aggressive adult model and to discover the extent to which the gender of the model influences the child's motivation to imitate.

Method:

• Participants were 36 males and 36 females aged 37 to 69 months mean age - just over 4 years). A male and female adult each served in the role of the model and participants were put in a room one at a time to observe their behaviour.

• Half of the groups observed an aggressive role model and the other half observed a non-aggressive role model.

• The groups were subdivided by gender and whether the model was the same sex or opposite sex of the participants (see below). There was also a control group who was not exposed to the model.

(conditions shown in image)

• In the room there was a Bobo doll, a hammer and other toys. The aggressive model hit the Bobo doll with the hammer and shouted abuse at it. The non-aggressive model played with the toys and ignored the Bobo doll. After witnessing the behaviour for about 10 minutes participants were taken down the corridor to another room where they experienced aggression arousal (they were told that they couldn't play with the toys in the room as they were being saved for other children but that they could play with the toys in a neighbouring room).

• The neighbouring room contained a range of toys including a 3-foot Bobo doll, a mallet, dart guns, and 'non aggressive toys'. Participants were observed for 20 minutes in this room and researchers rated the extent that they imitated the model's behaviour.

Results:

• Children who had observed aggressive behaviour acted more aggressively; boys acted more aggressively than girls and there was also a greater level of imitation of same-sex role models.

Conclusion:

• Children learn social behaviour such as aggression by observing the behaviours of others.

• This is most likely to happen when the behaviour is modelled by someone of the same gender.

Bandura followed up his 1961 study a few years later, describe how he did this + the results

• Children of 2.5 to 6 years watched a film of a model punching + screaming aggressively at a Bobo doll

• there were 3 different conditions: the film ended with a scene in which the model was rewarded, punished or ended right after the aggression scene

• when given their own Bobo doll to play with, the first group showed much more aggression, followed by the third group + then the second

give + explain one strength of Bandura’s studies using PEE

P - A strength of Bandura's studies is that he used the experimental method.

E - Bandura used controlled conditions (the rooms filled with toys) to discover a possible causal relationship between the modelling and imitation of aggression. By manipulating the gender and behaviour of the model (the independent variable), he was able to accurately measure the effect on the children's behaviour (the dependent variable).

E - This is a strength because it allowed Bandura to establish the cause and effect relationship between the observation and imitation of behaviour.

give 3 limitations of Bandura’s studies

1. low ecological validity

2. used children as participants

3. could be considered unethical

explain how Bandura’s studies could have low ecological validity using PEE

P - A limitation of Bandura's studies is that it has been criticised for having low ecological validity.

E - The experiment was conducted in an unfamiliar controlled environment (the rooms with toys); there was no interaction between the child and the model, the model and child were strangers to one another. Lastly, the effects of the modelled aggression were measured almost immediately.

E - This is a limitation because these conditions are quite unlikely to happen in real life and this 'snapshot' may therefore exaggerate the effects of modelling on behaviour.

explain how the fact that Bandura’s studies used children as Ps is a limitation using PEE

P - A limitation of Bandura's studies is that he used children as participants.

E - The results of the study demonstrated that participants exposed to the aggressive model behaved more aggressively towards the Bobo doll than those exposed to the non-aggressive model. However the children in the aggressive condition may have thought that they were being tested for the 'right' response and thus were required to behave aggressively towards the doll. It is impossible to establish if the participants would have imitated the aggressive behaviour had they not have been in a laboratory setting which means that the results may not reflect the participants' true behaviour.

E - This is a limitation because, if this is the case, the results would not be valid.

explain how Bandura’s studies may be considered unethical using PEE

P - A limitation of Bandura's studies is that it could be considered unethical.

E - Bandura manipulated some participants to respond in an aggressive manner and purposely made all of the children experience aggression arousal which could have caused participants to experience psychological harm such as stress.

E - This is a limitation because Bandura's experiment raises ethical concerns and would not be acceptable under current BPS guideline for 'protection of participants'

give 2 strengths of the social learning theory

1. supported by evidence

2. practical application

explain how the SLT is supported by evidence using PEE

P - A strength of Social Learning Theory is that it is supported by evidence.

E - For example Bandura demonstrated that children who observed an aggressive model behaved more aggressively than children who observed a non-aggressive model and there was also a greater level of imitation of same-sex role models.

E - This is a strength because this research suggests that Social Learning Theory provides an accurate explanation of aggression and it also might be able to accurately explain other behaviours.

explain how the SLT has practical applications using PEE

P - A strength of Bandura’s research is that the understanding of modelling has been practically applied to restrictions in the media. 

E - eg

• Age restriction for social media (age 13) 

• Age rating for films and computer games (U, PG,18….) 

• Parental control on internet usage  

E - This is a strength because it helps parents understand that children will copy what they see + so if they want their child to show positive characteristics eg good manners, hardworking, then parents need to model this behaviour for their children to imitate

give 2 limitations of the SLT

1. supporting evidence has low ecological validity

2. favours only the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate

explain how the supporting evidence for SLT has low ecological validity using PEEL

(same paragraph in evaluation of Bandura’s studies)

P - A limitation of Bandura's studies is that it has been criticised for having low ecological validity.

E - The experiment was conducted in an unfamiliar controlled environment (the rooms with toys); there was no interaction between the child and the model, the model and child were strangers to one another. Lastly, the effects of the modelled aggression were measured almost immediately.

E - This is a limitation because these conditions are quite unlikely to happen in real life and this 'snapshot' may therefore exaggerate the effects of modelling on behaviour.

L - the study therefore provides weak evidence for Social Learning Theory

explain how the SLT favours only the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate

P - A limitation of Social Learning Theory is that it favours only the nurture side of the nature vs nurture debate.

E - Bandura suggested that we learn behaviour through observation and vicarious reinforcement and this claim ignores the wealth of evidence that suggests that biological factors also contribute to behaviour (e.g. genes or hormones).

E - This is a limitation as it takes a very one-sided view and Bandura is criticised for ignoring the fact that, in his research, boys were more aggressive than girls regardless of the specifics or the experimental setting. These findings suggests that there is a biological component to aggression but Bandura fails to consider this within his theory.

L - therefore an interactionist view which acknowledges both nature and nurture might be a stronger explanation of behaviour