SLT and Cognitive Approach

What is social learning theory?

Includes drect and indirect reinforcemennt- learned from experience and also indirectly through observing others

What is vicarious reinforcement?

reinforcement indirectly experienced through observingsomeone else being reinforced for a behaviour- key factor in imitation, rather than if a behaviour is seen to be punished

What are mediational processes?

Cognitive factors that influence learning and come between stimulus and response e.g. thinking

• involved in learning, intervene to determine whether a new response is acquired

What are the 4 mps identified by Bandura?

1. Attention- extent to which we notice certain behaviours

2. Retention- how well we remember a behaviour

3. Motor reproduction- how well the observer can perform a behaviour

4. Motivation- the will to perform a behaviour, often influence by likelihood of reinforcement

What is identification?

Observer (especially child) associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them- more likely to imitate someone you identify with- “modelling”

• RMs possess similar characteristics and/or are attractive- don’t have to be physically present, can be in the media

What was the Bobo Doll experiment?

Study A- children watched adult behave aggressively to doll, shouted abuse and hit wuth hammer- kids behaved much more aggressively than those who had not observed

Study B- Bandura and Walters- children saw videos where adult aggressive to doll, on group saw praise and one saw punishment, control saw no consequence- 1st then 3rd then 2nd most aggressive

What are the strengths of SLT?

• recognises cognitive AND behavioural factors- more detailed and comprehensive so more applicable

• recognises influence of media on social learning- Arunbransiwed et al wannabe effect- more likely to identofy with attractive, heroic movie stars- more likely to accept prosocial messages- explains cultural differences

• Less determinist

What are the limitations of SLT?

• too little emphasis on biological factors on social learning

• overreliance on evidence from contrived lab studies, children may have been responding to demand characteristics- limited applicationCharlton et al TV had no effect on aggression

Describe SLT in terms of determinism

• reciprocal determinism- influenced AND exert an influence on the enviornment- more free will, element of choice

What is the cognitive approach?

• Focuses on internal mental processes that affect behaiviour, investigates ateas of human thinking negklected by behaviourists e.g. perception, memory thinking

What are schema?

• mental framework, ‘poackage’ of ideas- can act as a shortcut to organise and interpret information, developed through experienced, become more detailed and sopisticated with age

  • shows we actively organise, interpret and process memory- can lead to distortion iof the senses and perception errors

What are models?

‘Model’- representation of something else physicakky, e.g. processes- flow chartsm diagrams- lay out stages of learning

Information provessing model- mind like a computer which received, inputs, stores and outputs data

System 1- fast, automatic, intuitive- quick decisions

System 2- slow, intentional, deliberate and conscious- analysis and problem solving

What is an inference?

A conclusion reached by going beyond immediate evidence to reason their way to a conclusion about an unobservable mental process

What are the strengths of the cognitive approach?

• uses objective scientific methods- highly controlled and rigorous methods to infer cognitive processes, controlled objective data used- furthered by developments of cognitive neuroscience- credible scientific basis

• provides framework for effectuve depression treatment- CBT- Beck’s negatuve triad- challenge these thoughst to influence expectatiobs and behaviour

• soft determinismn- internal and external inflences on behaviour but we can exert free will

What are the limitations of the cognitive approach?

• relies on inference rather than direct observation- can be too abstract and theoretical- often use artifical stimuli e.g. word lists, not representing everyday experience which decteases EV

• machine reductionism- ignores influence of human emotion and motivation on cognitive system- human memory may be affected by emotional factors e.g. effect of anxiety on eyewitnesses