Social Cognitive Theory

Social cognitive theory - observing a model

One must observe someone else to learn a new behaviour/attention is needed for the observation to result in learning, as well as physical capability

Social cognitive theory - outcome expectancies

The rewards or punishments that one expects to receive if they imitate the observed behaviour/influenced by observing what reward of punishments the model recieves

Social cognitive theory - self efficacy

The extent to which one thinks they can reproduce the behaviour they have observed (believing in themselves)

Social cognitive theory - identification with the model

The extent to which one identifies with the model they observe/feeling a strong bond, many things in coming and an emotional attachment to the model

Bandura

A: whether aggression can be learned simply by observing others

P: 3 groups of UK nursery children/rated according to how aggressive they tended to be/each group was matched to have the same average aggression rating/group 1 observed adult behaving aggressively to Bob doll/group 2 observed adult assemble toys/group 3 did not observe an adult model/children were taken to a room one at a time with a Bobo doll and behaviour was observed

F: group 1 were more likely to behave aggressively/boys were more likely to be aggressive to the Bobo doll if the model was male, rather than female

C: supports social cognitive theory: behaviour can be learned by observing and imitating others/supports prediction of social cognitive theory that behaviour will be imitated when there is identification with the model

Evaluate Bandura

• Experimental design: allowed for a casual relationship between the behaviour of the model and the behaviour of the child

• Demand characteristics: children beat up the doll because they thought that was what they were supposed to do

• Low ecological validity

• Limited generalisability: all nursery children

Carney and Levine

A: assess the impact of the show ‘16 & pregnant’ on teen sexual behaviour and the rate of teen pregnancy

P: identified areas where show was particularly popular/measured whether these areas had greater decreases in teen pregnancy compared to places where the show was less popular/analysed google searches following a new episode of the show

F: areas where the show was popular had greater decreases in teen pregnancy/after a new episode, there was a spike in google searches for teams like ‘how to get birth control’

C: the show had a positive impact in reducing the rate of teen pregnancy

Evaluate Carney and Levine

• Supports social cognitive theory: role of outcome expectancies on behaviour

• High ecological validity: measured actual rates of teen pregnancy

• Correlational study makes it difficult to establish if the show was the only factor that led to a decrease in teen pregnancy