2 (2)- Social learning theory (combined)

1. Attention

When an individual observes a behaviour taking place.

2. Classical conditioning

Learning that occurs as the result of association. It involves a stimulus eliciting a response.

3. Identification

A process whereby an individual associates with the qualities, characteristics and views of another person.

4. Imitation

The conscious copying or reproduction of a model’s behaviour.

5. Live model

An actual model with whom we may come into contact with e.g. a parent, friend or teacher.

6. Mediating cognitive factors

Processes between stimulus and response.

7. Model

A person whom we may choose to imitate. They are usually older, of the same sex, attractive, popular and similar to the individual imitating them.

8. Modelling

The way in which a model displays or demonstrates a behaviour for somebody else to imitate.

9. Motivation

The desire to want to reproduce the behaviour.

10. Motor reproduction

Having the physical (or mental) ability to reproduce the behaviour.

11. Negative reinforcement

Occurs where a response or behaviour is strengthened by stopping, removing or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.

12. Nurture

A view that believes in the importance of the environment over innate factors.

13. Operant conditioning

Learning that occurs as a result of consequences which may include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment.

14. Positive reinforcement

Obtaining a pleasant or positive consequence for a behaviour which then strengthens the likelihood of repeating that behaviour in future.

15. Punishment

Receiving something negative in order to prevent that behaviour being repeated (i.e. extinguishing the behaviour).

16. Reductionist

The breaking down of behaviours e.g. into stimulus and response links.

17. Retention

When an individual memorises the behaviour that they have paid attention to.

18. Soft determinism

A view as used in SLT that believes that behaviours are controlled though includes an element of free will.

19. Symbolic model

A model that is a character to which the individual may be exposed e.g. television or literary character.

20. Vicarious reinforcement

Indirect reinforcement e.g. seeing somebody else being rewarded. This information can be retained and reproduced in future.

What is the definition of the social learning theory?

A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Reinforcement which is not directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour

What is the definition of mediational processes?

Cognitive factors (i.e. thinking) that influence learning and come between stimulus and response

What are the four mediational processes in learning that were identified by Albert Bandura?

1. Attention - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours

2. Retention - how well the behaviour is remembered

3. Motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

4. Motivation - the will to perform the behaviour, which is often determined by whether the behaviour was rewarded or punished

What is identification?

When an observer associates themselves with a role model and wants to be like them; they internalise the role model’s behaviour

What is modelling?

The imitating of the behaviour of a role model

How does a person become a role model?

If they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer. For example: same sex, popularity, attractiveness, older or high status

What is one strength of the social learning theory?

• It uses human participants within its research, meaning the results have higher generalisability

• E.g. Fagot, whose research into gender, observed 24 children playing with their parents and concluded that parents reinforce their children differently depending on their sex

• Such studies help us to better understand how gender is acquired in humans compared to Gorski’s rat studies

What is one limitation of the social learning theory?

• It has been criticised for making too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning

• Recent research suggests that observational learning may be the result of mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise with and imitate others

What is a limitation of the social learning theory regarding contrived lab studies?

• Lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics

• In relation to the Bobo doll study, because the main purpose of the doll was to strike it, the children were simply behaving in a way they thought was expected

What is a strength of the social learning theory regarding real-world application?

• SLT has the advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour

• SLT principles can account for how children learn from others around them, including the media, and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies

• This has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their gender role

What is reciprocal determinism?

• A person's behaviour is influenced through cognitive processes and environmental factors

• For example, a child acts out because they don't like school which results in the teacher reprimanding the child, causing the child to act out even more