Social Learning Theory

Who developed the social learning theory?

Albert Bandura

How does the social learning theory assume we learn?

By observing others

What is identification?

People are more likely to imitate a behaviour if they feel similar to the person they are observing

What is vicarious reinforcement?

When someone is more likely to imitate a behaviour because they observe the behaviour being rewarded

What is vicarious punishment?

When someone is less likely to imitate a behaviour because they observe the behaviour being punished

What are mediational processes?

Mental processes that determine whether or not we imitate behaviour

What are the key mediational processes?

Attention, retention, reproduction and motivation

What happened in Bandura’s study?

Children who observed an adult behaving aggressively towards a Bobo Doll were significantly more likely to imitate that aggressive behaviour, while those who observed non-aggressive behaviour or no model showed little to no aggression.

What are two strengths of Bandura’s research?

There was a high degree of control and it is reliable

What are two weaknesses of Bandura’s research?

May lack ecological validity and involved ethical issues