Social Learning Theory

What are the 4 key assumptions of Social Learning Theory?

People learn through observing and imitating others, imitation is more likely if the person is a role model which is someone that the observer identifies with, the principles of operant conditioning can be experienced directly or indirectly as we can learn vicariously via vicarious reinforcement, between observing and imitating behaviour there are 4 mediational processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation

What is vicarious reinforcement?

learning through consequences of other people’s experience

What is attention? (2)

observer noticing and watching, often role model is same gender and age

What is retention?

behaviour is committed to memory and can be retrieved

What is motor reproduction?

observer must be physically able to perform the behaviour for imitation to occur

What is motivation? (3)

vicarious reinforcement, they will be motivated to perform a behaviour if they think they will directly be reinforced, more likely if the expectation of rewards is greater than the expectation of negative consequences

How would you approach an A01 question on the assumptions of social learning theory part 1? (5)

behaviours are learnt through observing others, role models, same gender, similar age, vicarious reinforcement

How would you approach an A01 question on the assumptions of social learning theory part 2? (5)

mediational processes between observing and imitating, attention, retention, motor reproduction, motivation

How would you approach an A01 question on the assumptions of social learning theory part 3? (4)

Bandura’s findings, children witnessing aggressive role model showed aggressive behaviour, no aggression in control group and non-aggressive role model group, boys more aggressive than girls

What was the aim of Bandura’s study?

investigate whether children will imitate violent behaviours displayed by adult role models

What were the characteristics of participants in Bandura’s study? (5)

72 children, ages 3-6, recruited, split into groups of 3 6 boys and 6 girls in each group, enrolled at Stanford University Nursery

What experimental design did Bandura use? (2)

matched pairs design, children matched in different conditions with similar aggression ratings

How did Bandura determine aggression ratings? (4)

researcher’s tested children’s level of aggression rated, second set of independent raters agreed with first raters, 89%, high inter-rater reliability

What was stage 1 of Bandura’s method? (3)

experimental conditions either watched an aggressive role model who was the same or different gender to them, watched a non-aggressive role model who was the same or different gender to them, saw no role model

What were the actions of the aggressive role model? (3)

entered room full of toys and verbally and physically attacked the Bobo doll for 10 minutes, using distinctive phrases like ‘sock him in the nose’, and actions like punching it in the face

What were the actions of the non-aggressive role model?

entered the same room and played quietly with a tinker toy set for 10 minutes

What were the actions of the no model control condition?

did not observe an adult

What was stage 2 of Bandura’s method? (4)

in order to evoke frustration all children were taken into room with attractive toys, then taken out of the room, and told those toys were reserved for other children, as earlier studies showed aggression was more likely to be imitated at times of frustration

What was stage 3 of Bandura’s method? (3)

children were now taken to the room where there were the same toys some of them had seen in stage 1, they were given 20 minutes of free play time, observed through two-way mirror

What were the results of Bandura’s study? (3)

children who watched an aggressive adult role model were significantly more likely to imitate specific verbal and physical behaviour they saw, also showed more aggression generally showing creative aggression play like pretending to shoot the Bobo doll with a gun, 70% of the children in the non-aggressive condition and the control condition showed no aggressive behaviour

How many aggressive acts on average did girls do from the aggressive condition?

18

How many aggressive acts on average did girls do from the matched non-aggressive condition?

0.5

What conclusion can be made from boys’ behaviour in general?

boys were more likely to imitate aggression especially if the adult role model was male

What conclusion can be made from Bandura’s study?

children can learn violence vicariously