Learning by Observation and Social Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards covering observational learning, social psychology, cultural and family norms, Bandura's Bobo doll experiment, mirror neurons, Milgram obedience studies, and the Stanford prison experiment.

Cultural Norms

Shared rules and expectations within a society that govern social interactions, behavioral norms, taboo behaviors, gender norms, and social scripts.

Family Norms

Shared expectations within a family unit regarding communication, expressing emotion, managing conflict, and experiencing closeness.

Observational Learning

A type of learning in which higher animals learn without direct experience by watching and imitating others.

Albert Bandura

Pioneer researcher of observational learning who conducted the famous Bobo doll experiment at Stanford University.

Modeling

The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.

Bobo Doll Experiment

An experiment conducted by Albert Bandura demonstrating observational learning in children, focusing on vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment.

Attention (Observational Learning)

The first core process of Bandura's observational learning, defined as noticing the behavior.

Retention (Observational Learning)

The second core process of Bandura's observational learning, defined as remembering the observed behavior.

Reproduction (Observational Learning)

The third core process of Bandura's observational learning, defined as being able to do the observed behavior.

Motivation (Observational Learning)

The fourth core process of Bandura's observational learning, defined as having a reason to try the behavior.

Mirror Neurons

Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another person doing so, which may enable imitation and empathy.

Empathy in the Brain

Brain activity where observing a loved one's pain activates emotional brain areas, but not the somatosensory cortex which receives physical pain input.

Prosocial Effects

Positive, constructive behaviors resulting from observational learning, such as modeling nonviolent behavior prompting similar behavior in others.

Antisocial Effects

Negative, destructive social behaviors resulting from observational learning, such as abusive parents increasing a child's likelihood of aggression.

Milgram's Obedience Experiments

Studies conducted by Stanley Milgram showing that people's behavior is controlled more by the situation than by personal traits, with high obedience when authority figures are close by.

Diffusion of Responsibility

A feeling of shared accountability that increases obedience when participants feel they can pass responsibility on to others or an authority figure.

Moral Exclusion

A psychological process used to justify oppression and violence against groups considered outside the scope of justice.