Social Learning Theory (SLT) AO1/AO3

Who theorised social learning theory?

Bandura

Why did Bandura theorise SLT?

• To deal with the fact that some behaviour appeared without being conditioned

• So classical conditioning and operant conditioning don’t explain the whole picture of how we learn

How does SLT link to conditioning?

• Works alongside conditioning

• Doesn’t replace it

How does SLT explain learning?

• By observing another person

• Observational learning

What are the 4 stages of SLT? (think long arrm!)

1. Attention

2. Retention

3. Reproduction

4. Motivation

What does ‘attention’ mean in SLT?

We notice the behaviour of the role model

What does ‘retention’ mean in SLT?

We remember the behaviour produced by the role model

What does ‘reproduction’ mean in SLT?

We replicate the behaviour produced by the role model if we are able to

What does ‘motivation’ mean in SLT?

The reason we continue to replicate the behaviour produced by the role model

What are the 2 types of motivation?

Direct and indirect

What are the 2 types of direct motivation?

Intrinsic and extrinsic

What is intrinsic motivation?

Internal motivation, e.g ‘I want to work hard to achieve good grades’

What is extrinsic motivation?

External motivation, e.g ‘I want to work hard as my parents said they would give me £50 if I get an A’

What is ‘modelling’ in terms of SLT?

• When a role model performs a behaviour

• Everyone is a potential model

What is identification in terms of role models?

• The taking of qualities, characteristics and views of another person

• It is why boys copy boys, and girls copy girls

• It occurs intra-sex but is also affected by power, popularity and attractiveness

What 3s explain identification?

• Significant

• Similar

• Status

What does significant mean to explain why we identify with role models?

• Someone who is important to you

• e.g Taylor Swift (she is my favourite singer)

What does similar mean to explain why we identify with role models?

• Someone who is like you

• Usually in terms of gender, age etc

• e.g Taylor Swift is also female

What does status mean to explain why we identify with role models?

• Someone who has more ‘power’ than you

• e.g Taylor Swift is a celebrity

What happens once we have found our role model and identified with them?

• We will observe their behaviour

• This can then be imitated

• All of this can happen in a matter of seconds, it doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process

How is cognition significant in SLT?

Unlike other theories, SLT pays attention to your mental process/what you’re thinking.

What evidence of cognition is there in SLT?

• We have to pay attention (deciding which parts are important and which are inconsequential)

• Also depends on how much motivation we are given, this can be through direct reinforcement (OC) or vicarious reinforcement

What is vicarious reinforcement?

An individual learning something through someone else being reinforced.

Can you give an example of vicarious reinforcement?

When a person works hard because a colleague has been rewarded for their hard work.

Can you give an example of vicarious punishment?

Someone doesn’t park in a particular place because someone they know got a ticket for parking there.

Can you give an example of vicarious extinction?

People stop doing something as they see others have not been rewarded for it.

What are the 4 aspects of vicarious reinforcement?

• The modelling effect

• The eliciting effect

• The disinhibiting effect

• The inhibitory effect

What is the modelling effect?

People copy behaviour they would not have done if not for the model.

What is the eliciting effect?

The observer copies, but slightly differently.

What is the disinhibiting effect?

Someone will copy the behaviour if they see someone doing it without negative consequences.

What is the inhibitory effect?

People stop doing something because they see a model being punished

Supporting evidence for SLT

• Bandura ‘61/63

• Bandura ‘65

How does Bandura ‘61/63 support SLT?

They found that children who saw an aggressive model, whether in real life or on screen, were more aggressive.

This shows that we learn behaviour like aggression through observation and imitation of a model, which means SLT is a credible explanation of behaviour.

How does Bandura ‘65 support SLT?

They found that children who observed models who were rewarded for their aggressive behaviour, had the highest levels of aggression.

This shows that we learn behaviour like aggression through vicarious reinforcement, which means SLT is a credible explanation of behaviour.

OTOH for Bandura ‘65?

Children were taught to be aggressive, which may have had unknown long-term effects beyond the study, so it is unethical. This makes SLT less credible as an explanation of behaviour.

Conflicting evidence for SLT

• Charlton

• Bandura (any GRAVE weaknesses points for Bandura reduces the credibility of SLT, as Bandura is the basis for SLT)

How does Charlton support SLT?

They investigated St Helena island after TV was introduced and found no increase in aggression as SLT would predict.

This shows that the influence of a role model on behaviour may be less than stated in the theory and not everyone follows the formula, which means SLT is not a credible/incomplete explanation of behaviour like aggression.

Other theories

• Operant conditioning- says we learn via reinforcement

• Classical conditioning- says we learn via association

• Whereas SLT says we learn via observation and imitation of a role model

Why may SLT be better than OC and CC?

SLT is better as it it includes conditioning and takes into account cognition when talking about identification (which OC and CC don’t), so it is a more holistic and complete explanation of behaviour like aggression.

Is SLT useful?

Yes

• Can be used to successfully and effectively treat/reduce phobias in modelling therapy (seeing others interact with the phobic stimulus).

No

• Ignores hormonal imbalances and other biological theories as a reason for human behaviour, e.g testosterone and aggression. Biological theories may account for behaviours not learnt through observation, which means SLT isn’t a complete explanation of behaviour.

• Reductionist as it suggests that if you see a role model being rewarded you will copy the behaviour going through the same stages of ARRM. May be too simplistic/incomplete/not comprehensive as human behaviour isn’t so easily broken down into a staged process.

• Deterministic as it discounts free will having anything to do with human behaviour, suggests we will all follow the stages of ARRM if we see a role model being rewarded- even if may not always be the case.

Is SLT testable?

Yes

• Empirical and objective as it directly measures aggression, e.g how many times a person repeats a certain behaviour. So observation and imitation is a credible way to explain how people learn behaviours like aggression.

• OTOH- may not be empirical as we cannot measure cognition, e.g paying attention.