Social Learning Theory

What is SLT?

behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of others

What did Bandura study?

vicarious learning

What study did Bandura conduct?

bobo doll study

what was the procedure of bobo doll study

young children watched adults be aggressive

what were the findings of the bobo doll study

imitated the behaviour

why is slt often described as the bridge between traditional learning theory and the cognitive approach

because it focuses on how mental factors are involved in learning.

what four mediational processes did bandura identify~?

attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation

What is attention?

needing to notice certain behaviours

What is retention?

How well the behaviour is remembered

What is motor reproduction?

The ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

What is motivation?

the will to imitate the behaviour

2 strengths of SLT

notices importance of cognitive factors, less deterministic

weaknesses of SLT

Low ecological validity, artificial setting, individual differences would affect response, underestimates biological influences, reductionism

outline what slt is

learning that involves observation, imitation / copying / modelling, identification and vicarious reinforcement, acknowledges role of cognition in learning

Discuss two limitations of social learning theory

hard to determine cause and effect - artificial setting, demand characteristics

Explain one way in which social learning theory overlaps with one other approach in psychology.

cognitive approach - role of mediational processes

What do social learning theorists mean by imitation?

copying behaviour of a role model.