Learning Approaches: SLT

what are assumptions of the SLT?

• beh is learned from the environ thru observ + imit

• learners can acquire new beh + knowledge by merely observing a model e.g. same sex/model → identification

• or if model attractive/someone the observer admires/high status

What is Bandura’s Bobo doll (SLT) experiment procedudre?

• expt inv 72 childr (36b+36g)

• ages roughly 3-6 yrs old enrolled at Stanford Uni Nursery Sch

• childr matched on pre-existing aggr lvls + alloc into aggr cond, non-aggr cond/ctrl group

• in aggr model cond: childr observed adult hitting BB doll w hammer + verbally abusive to it

• non-aggr cond: childr observe adult playing quietly + ignoring BB doll

• childr then placed in own room 20 mins w various toys + BB doll

• observ of childrens beh made thru one-way mirror every 5 secs

what were the findings of the BB doll study?

• childr who saw aggr model showed much more aggr than those in non-aggr/ctrl

• girls + boys more likely to imit same-sex model, but particularly the case w boys

• boys = more likely to imit phys aggr than girls, esp when male model there

• girls = more phys aggr when watching male model but more verbally aggr after watching fem model

• boys + girls more strongly infl by male models overall, likely due to societal views of aggr as a masculine beh at the time

• childr copied lang used by aggr adults

• aggr by male adult praised by children, fem aggr criticised by childr as innapropr reflecting gender norms/societal expectations of that time

what is vicarious reinforcement?

• we do not imit all beh we see

• beh more likely imit if observer sees model being pos reinf/rew for their beh

• beh less likely imit if observer sees model punished for their beh

what is mediational processes and what are the 4 processes?

Bandura id 4 ment proc (cognitive) inv in SLT

1. Attention (we must notice the beh)

2. Retention (we must remember the behaviour)

3. Motor Reproduction (we must be able to perform the beh)

4. Motivation: must be motivated to perform beh (linked to vic reinforcement)

SLT cannot take place w/o the 4 mental proc in order to imit beh

how is rs a + for SLT??

• in his BB doll expt, Bandura f childr learn aggr beh thru observing + imitating adults

• this was more likely w same-sex model

• to test inter-rater rel of observers, 51 childr rated by 2 observers independently → these ratings showed high rel correl r=0.89 → sugg observers had good agreem ab beh w + conseq

• B also f in variations of his og study → beh w pos conseq for model likely to be imit + beh w neg conseq for model less likely to be imit

T: incr cred of appr, supp id we observe + imit beh we see, esp if that beh has + conseq for model. Also supp id of identification.

how is a - that rs into SLT has HCOEV?

• SLT follows obj, sci meth

• favours carrying out rs in highly ctrlld lab where easier to ctrl extran vari

• theref, unlikely any extran vari will have infl res

T: incr int valid, means we can rely on the res being accur + c&e can be est

how is a - that rs into SLT can have LEV?

• highly ctrlled lab environ are artif + unlike rl setting → unfam to ppt → may infl their beh

• incr likelihood of DC → ppt try guess aim of study → beh in way they think researchers want them instead of how they norm beh

• B study → childr may have thought they were expected to hit BB doll but wouldn’t do this irl

T: may not be able to gen res from rs into SLT to rl/be sure we are testing ppt real beh

how is a - that the SLT is limited?

• SLT can be criticised for not taking biolog factors into acc enuf

• alth Bandura claimed natural biolog differences infl learning potential, he thought learning itself was determined by environ

• h, recent rs sugg observational learning may be result of minor neurons in brain which allow us to imit others

• a + h, does take cog factors into acc (med proc) → means SLT can give complete expl for beh which CC+OC on own can’t do

T: sugg biolog appr should be comb w SLT to give compl expl of beh

how is a + that rs into SLT can be PATRL and has contributed to society/psych and our understanding of behaviour?

• used to expl cult differences in beh

• we learn this from media + ppl around us → creates cult norms

• used to expl aggr

• sch can ensure they have non-aggr role mod and vic reinf them

• parents can be educ about eff of childr watching aggr beh in media

T: incr val of SLT rs, ppl able to live safer lives