learning approaches: social learning theory

define the social learning theory

a way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors

define vicarious reinforcement

reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour ie getting a reward rather than being punished, this is a key factor in imitation

define mediational processes

cognitive factors ie thinking that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

what are the four mediational processes

attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviour, retention - how well teh behaviour is remembered, motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perfrom the behaviour, motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished

define identification

when an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model

define modelling

imitating the behaviour of a role model

give a strength using cognitive factors

it recognises importance of cognitive factors in learning, neither classical nor operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of learning on their own. humans and animals store info about behaviour of others and use this to make their own judgements when it is appropriate to perfom certain actions, shown by recognising the role of mediational processes

weakness to counterpoint cognitive factors

little reference to biological factors. bandura claimed natural biological differences influenced our learning potential, he thought learning was determined by the environment. suggesting that biological influences on social learning were under-emphasised in SLT

limitation through lab studies

evidence was gathered through lab studies by observing childrens behaviour in a lab, contrived nature were participants may respond to demand characteristics. ie in the bobo doll experiment the children were behaving in a way that they thought was expected and tells us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life

strength to do with real-world application

has been applied to real-world behaviours. explains cultural differences in behaviour, SLT principles can account for how children learn from others around them, including media showing how cultural norms are transmitted through certain societies

contrast to behavioural approach

reciprocal determinism, in the sense that we are not merely influenced by our external environment but we also exert an influence upon it, through the behaviours we choose to perform. this element of choice suggests that there is some free will in the way we behave

banduras research

recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave aggressively towards a bobo doll hitting it with a hammer and shouted abuse. when the children were later observed playing with toys including the bobo doll they behaved much more aggressively than those who had observed a non-aggressive adult

findings of banduras research

vicarious reinforcement: when children saw the model rewarded they showed more imitation, when model was punished imitation decreased. boys imitated more physical aggression than girls - down to bio factors like hormones. identification : children were more likely to imitate same-sex model

assumptions

bandura agreed with behaviourists that behaviour is learned through experience, however his SLT proposed a different way people learn which is through observation and imitation. learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning but also indirectly