Albert Bandura - theorist

social learning theory

a psychological theory that say people learn new behaviours, attitudes, and emotional reactions through observing and imitating others

• suggests learning is a cognitive process that occurs in a social context

• highlights: observation, imitation, modelling, and the influence of punishments , reinforcements.

4 key processes

1. attention- focuses on how learners observe particular behaviours

2. retention- how an observer retains behaviours observed + how they remember

3. reproduction- when the observer repeats behaviour in different social contexts. may receive feedback and adjust their behaviour

4. motivation- encourages observer to repeat the behaviour based on responses. may be positive or negative.

Bobo doll experiment - what is it?

studies conducted in the 1960s, that demonstrated that children learn aggressive behaviours through observation

Bobo doll experiment- what is the method?

1. three groups of children observed

2. one group watched an aggressive model towards the doll , another group saw non-aggressive, last group exposed to no model.

3. before the model children were deliberately frustrated- increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

Bobo doll experiment- results?

• children exposed to aggressive model: children showed aggressive behaviour towards the doll both verbal + physical

• non- aggressive model showed little aggression- less aggression that the no model group.

• experiment provided evidence children learn from observing + imitating other people’s behaviours.