Learning theory - social learning theory

What is SLT?

This is a theory that explains individuals copy others they see around them as they see their behaviour as socially desirable.

Who created the bobo doll study and what is it?

Bandura who created a study to highlight the impacts of young children being exposed to violent behaviour.

The bobo doll study essentially put a set of kids in a room to examine how an adult acts around a certain doll. The children who observed the adult hitting the doll also hit the doll. And the ones who observed the adult doing less violent actions also did less violent actions.

Strengths of the bobo doll experiment and SLT

Strengths:

The experiment showed the model did have an effect in the child’s behaviour

The experiments variables such as age and gender were all controlled making it a faire test

The study has been replicated with slight changes and found similar results.

Limitations of the bobo doll experiment and SLT

• The experiment takes place with a child and a stranger. Usually behaviour is influenced by an individual they personally look up to.

• There are ethical issues of involving and exposing the children to violence

• Cumberbatch found that children who have never played with the doll are most likely to imitate what the adult is doing as they don’t know how to play with it.

James Bulger + columbine school shooting case study

James Bulger was murdered by 2 10 year olds, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables

They had said they had played ‘child’s play 3’ a 18+ video game prior to this murder

Columbine school shooting - murdered 12 students and a teacher, wounded 23 others before shooting themselves

They were known to enjoy playing Doom, a game licensed by the US military to train soldiers to kill