Social Learning Theory

What were Albert Bandura's (1977) views on behaviour?

He agreed that behaviour is learned from experience but he argued that Classical and Operant conditioning couldn’t account for all human learning. He thought important mental processes mediate between stimulus and response.

What are the steps in observational learning?

1. Behaviour modelled by role model

2. Behaviour observed

3. Behaviour is imitated and learnt

SLT proposed people learn through observation and imitation of others within a social context.

What is identification?

People, especially children (3-7) are more likely to imitate people they identify with role models (because they are similar to them or they look up to them).

What are role models?

They possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have high status.

What are live models?

A person actually a part of someone else's life. Eg. Parent, teacher member of peer group, same age or gender.

What are symbolic models?

Someone portrayed in the movie. Eg. TV hero

What is vicarious reinforcement?

• In general imitation only occurs if the behaviour is seent to be rewarded (reinforced) rather than punished.

• Individuals dont need to directly experience rewards or punishment in order to learn behaviour

• Can learn by observing the consequences experienced by the role model.

Example of vicarious reinforcement

Modelling: Mary's older sister eats with a spoon.

Observation: Mary watches older sister eat with spoon.

Imitation: Mary copies older suster and starts eating with a spoon.

Identification: mary identifies with older sister as she is family and has the same gender.

Vicarious reinforcement: Mary sees older sister get rewarded so is more likely to repeat the behaviour.

What is the role of mediational processes?

These mental factors mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired. Bandura discovered 4 mediational processes.

What are the 4 mediational processes?

1. Attention: Extent to which we notice certain behaviours

2. Retention: How well the behaviour is remembered

3. Motor Reproduction: Ability of observer to perform behaviour.

4. Motivation: Will to perform behaviour, determined by reward or punishment

What was Bandura's (1961) experiment?

• People thought watching violence reduced aggression. Eg. Boxing day.

• He carried out an experiment with children who observed aggressive or non-aggressive adult models.

• They were then tested for imitative learning in absence of the model.

• Half were exposed to aggressive interaction (hitting and verbal aggression like “Pow” ) with a life sized Bobo doll. The other half were exposed to non aggressive models.

• After being exposed to model, children were frustrated with not being able to play with toys.

• Exposure lasted for 10 minutes.

What were the results Bandura's experiment?

• Children who observed aggression, reproduced physical and verbal aggression. Children didn’t observe aggression showed none to the Bobe doll, verbal or physical.

• Children who saw the model being rewarded for aggression were more likely to display it.

What are some modern implications of violence and reinforcement?

• James Bulger (1990) was killed by 10 year old that played violent video games.

• Guy Cumberbatch (1990) argued ‘video nasties’ were more likely to frighten children than make them aggressive.

• He argued isolated incidents were better explained by factors like social deprivation, child abuse, early childhood exposure to violence at home

• The media vicariously reinforces violence and aggression. Eg. Hero beating villain up.

What’s a strength of SLT?

It provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning that classical and Operant as it recognises the role of mediational processes.

What’s a weakness of SLT?

It ignores important influences on behaviour. Eg. Boys could be more aggressive because of higher testosterone levels.

What’s another weakness of SLT?

Humans and animals store information about others’ behaviour and use it to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain behaviours. Free will involved.

What did Bandura think about learning potential?

He claimed natural biological differences affected learning potential but he thought learning itself was determined by environment.

What could cause observational learning?

It may be the result of Mirror neurons which allows us to empathise with and imitate other people.

What is an issue with a lab setting?

It may be contrived as participants could show demand characteristics.

What could be a drawback of using a Bobo doll?

The main aim of a Bobo doll is to hit it so children may have been doing what was expected regardless of seeing aggression.

What some strengths of SLT?

• It explains cultural differences in behaviour.

• It can account for how children learn from people around them including media.

• It can explain the transmission of cultures in society.

• It can account for real world behaviours.