The social learning theory

What is identification

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

What is imitation

copying and mirroring the behaviour of others

what is the meditational processes

cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

What is the social learning theory (SLT)

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

What is vicarious reinforcement

 reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour. Which is a key factor in imitation

What are the processes of the social learning theory

What are the key ideas of the social learning theory

it is a way of explaining behaviour which includes both direct and indirect reinforcement combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors

Imitation --> Identification --> Vicarious reinforcement --> mediational processes

Who researched the social learning theory

Bandura et al. 1961

What was Bandura’s procedure

He carried out an experiment involving children who observed aggressive or non-aggressive behaviour performed by an adult on a life-sized bobo doll

• The aggressive role model showed violent behaviour towards the doll

• E.g. striking it with a mallet or saying words like "pow"

• After the exposure to the role model the children were frustrated by being shown attractive toys which they were not allowed to play with

• They were taken to a room where there was a bobo doll

What were Bandura’s findings

• Children who has observed the aggressive model reproduced larger amounts of physicality and verbally aggressive behaviour resembling that of the role model

• Children who did not observe aggressive behaviour exhibited virtually no aggression towards the bobo doll

• 1/3 of the children who observed the aggressive model repeated verbally aggressive behaviour of the model

What are some strengths of the social learning theory

 Social learning theory has useful applications

=> the principles of the social learning theory have been usefully applied to increase our understanding of many areas of human behaviour, including criminal behaviour

• Alkers 1998 suggested that the probability of someone engaging in criminal behaviour increased when exposed to models who commit crimes

• They then identify with there models and develop the expectation of positive consequences for their own criminal behaviour

• Ulrich 2003 suggested that the importance of the SLT in this process in a review of the literature

• The strongest cause of violent behaviour in adolescence was association with delinquent peer groups

• Where violence was both modelled and rewarded

 

Research support for identification

=> according to SLT observing a model similar to ourselves should lead to more learning than observing a dissimilar model

• Fox and Bailenson 2009 found evidence for this by using a computer generated human who was engaging in exercise or loitering

• The models looked either similar or dissimilar to the individual participants

• Participants who viewed their virtual model exercising were more likely to engage in physical activity in the 24 hours following the experiment

• Participants who viewed their model merely loitering did not exercise

They concluded that greater identification with a model leads to more learning because it is easier to visualise the self in the place of the model => so the observer feels as if he/she is having the same experience

What are some limitations of social learning theory

 A problem of complexity

 => In focusing exclusively on the processes of SL, advocates to this approach disregard other potential influences on behaviour

• In explaining the development of gender role behaviour, SL theorists would emphasis the importance of gender-specific modelling

• In real-life however, a child is more likely to be exposed to many different influences

• All interacting in complex ways

• These include genetic predispositions, media portrayals and LOC

This presents a serious problem for SL researchers if virtually anything can have an influence on a specific behaviour, it becomes very difficult to show that once particular thing SL is the main causal influence