Social learning theory

Who proposed social learning theory?

Bandura

What is imitation defined as?

The conscious copying of a model

What are the two types of model?

• Live model: a person with whom the individual is in contact with (e.g. mother, parent or teacher)

• Symbolic model: not a person with whom the individual is in contact with & may include media, literary or fictional characters

Under what conditions is imitation more likely to occur?

When the person has low self-esteem & the model is of the same sex, older, attractive & possesses qualities seen as favourable to the individual (e.g. popularity, status, wealth)

What name is given to the cognitive processes between stimulus & response?

Mediating cognitive factors

What are the 4 mediating cognitive factors that SLT proposes?

1. Attention

2. Retention

3. Motor reproduction

4. Motivation

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Indirect reinforcement (i.e. seeing someone else being rewarded)

Outline and evaluate the social learning theory (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• Social learning theory (SLT), proposed by Bandura, states that learning occurs as a result of imitation of models (live or symbolic) with whom the person identifies. A live model is a person with whom the individual is in contact with (e.g. parent or teacher), whereas a symbolic model is not & may include media, literary or fictional characters. Imitation is more likely to occur when the person has low self-esteem & the model is of the same sex, older, attractive & possesses qualities seen as favourable to the individual (e.g. popularity, status & wealth).

• SLT assumes there are 4 mediating cognitive factors that occur between stimulus & response: attention, retention, motor reproduction & motivation - where the person is not motivated to imitate a behaviour, the behaviour will not be performed. Finally, Bandura proposed that reinforcement does not need be direct but can also be indirect through vicarious reinforcement.

Outline and evaluate the social learning theory (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (Perry & Bussey)

• Point: One strength of SLT is that it is less deterministic than other approaches (e.g. behaviourist & biological approach).

• Evidence: For example, Perry & Bussey found children were more motivated to imitate a same-sex model when selecting a piece of fruit.

• Explain: Despite SLT taking a hard stance on nurture in the nature-nurture debate, it also considers mediational cognitive processes (e.g. motor reproduction & motivation) between stimulus & response.

• Link: As such, this means SLT has soft determinism & offers a less mechanistic & reductionist explanation of human behaviour.

Outline and evaluate the social learning theory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Dabbs)

• Point: One limitation of SLT is that it is criticised for failing to consider biological influences on human behaviour.

• Evidence: For example, Dabbs found that testosterone levels were higher in aggressive male criminals who had committed violent offences (e.g. rape & murder), suggesting a biological nature to aggression & explanations of crime.

• Explain: However, by taking a hard stance on nurture in the nature-nurture debate, SLT fails to explain how physiological factors can control human behaviour.

• Link: Therefore, this questions whether crime can solely be explained through simple acts of imitation & vicarious reinforcement, as proposed by SLT.

Outline and evaluate the social learning theory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Bobo doll study)

• Point: One limitation of SLT is that some studies use artificial surroundings & highly contrived conditions.

• Evidence: For example, Bandura’s Bobo doll study (which aimed to investigate whether children would imitate a same-sex model), found that those who observed an aggressive model were more likely to become aggressive themselves.

• Explain: However, the children may have only acted aggressively towards a toy blow-up doll as they knew there were no harmful repercussions - this does not necessarily mean they would act aggressively towards another person where there are greater consequences.

• Link: Overall, this is problematic as studies using the experimental method have limited generalisability beyond the laboratory, compared to research using more ecologically valid methods.