Social Learning Theory

What are the 3 main assumptions of the SLT?

People learn through observation and immitation

Vicarious reinforcemnt is important as people are more likely to imitate rewarded behaviour and less likely to immitate punished behaviour (influences behaviour)

Mediational processes influence whether observed behaviour is imitated

Who developed the social learning theory? (2)

Bandura

1986

Mediational Processes (4)

Modelling - Behaviour performed by role mode

Imitation - Repeating successful behaviour of role models

Identification - Seeing yourself as similar to/represented by the role model

Vicarious reinforcement - Feeling “second hand” pleasure when you witness the success of a role model

Indirect reinforcement

Human observers mediational processes allow them to learn and/or modify behaviour by watching others

Aims of Bandura Study (2)

To find out if children would show more aggressive behaviour if exposed to an aggressive role model and less aggressive behaviour if exposed to a less aggressive role model

To see if the sex of the role model and the child made a difference - to see if children were more likely to imitate a same sex role model + If boys were more aggressive than girls

Hypothesis

Children who are exposed to an aggressive role model will exhibit a higher frequency of aggressive behaviours than children who are exposed to a non-aggressive role model

IVs (3)

1. Whether the role model was aggressive or non-agressive

2. Whether the role model was the same sex or opposite sex to the child

3. Control condition where the children did not see the role model at all

DV

The number of verbal, physical, mallet and gun play aggressive actions as well as the number of non-imitative aggression

Experimental type (2)

Lab experiment - conducted in a controlled environment, where the IV of aggressive vs non-aggressive is manipulated

Quasi experiment - Investigating the effect of sex on aggression

Experimental design (2)

Matched pairs

Each child was only in one condition but they were matched on their starting level of aggression

Experimental observation techniques (2)

Observed by 2 researchers - Interobservational Validity

Covert - Participants observed behind a two way mirror

Sampling technique (2)

Opportunity sample

72 children selected from Stanford University nursery

Procedure (4)

24 children (12b, 12g) - control group - no role model

24 children - aggresive model - female model (6g,6b) - male model (6g,6b)

24 children - non aggressive model - female model (6g,6b) - male model (6g,6b)

Half saw a same-sex model, half saw an opposite-sex model

Results: Aggression (2)

The children who observed an aggressive role model showed a lot of verbal and physical aggressed

Resembled the scripted routine the model had acted out

Results: Non-aggression (2)

There was little aggressive behaviour in the Non-aggressive model / control condition; around 70% had a score of 0 for aggression

In the non-aggressive model, most children sat quietly

Results: Male role model (3)

Had a bigger influence than female role model

Aggressive male model produced more aggression

Non-aggressive male model produced more calm

Significant figures: Physical aggression (2)

Boy’s physical aggression after male agression = 25.8 avg acts

Girls physical aggression after female aggression = 5.5 avg acts

Significant figures: Control group

Non-imitative agression is higher for boys (24.6) than girls (6.1)

Conclusions: Behaviour (2)

Behaviour can be learned by imitation even if it hasn’t been reinforced

Complex behaviour patterns can be learned from imitation without needing reinformcement

Conclusion: Male role model (3)

The male role model was much more influential than the female

Boys showed a greater tendency to engage in physical aagression

Linked to cultural expectations - societal expectations learned from society / culture (men seen as leaders)

Conclusions: Identification(2)

Girls imitated female role models and boys imitated the male role model

There are no strong cultural expectations - people will imitate the model they identify most with