Social Learning Theory

Social learning Theory

Individuals learn behaviours through watching others (models) and the reinforcement they receive.

Bandura’s Theory (1977)

We think about our behaviour

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Reinforcement is only an informative and motivational operation rather than a mechanical response strengthener.

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Reinforcement provides the learner with information about the likely consequences of certain behaviour under certain conditions

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We are likely to learn the modelled behaviour if we value its consequences

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Strengths

• Can explain how behaviours can be learned in the absence of direct reinforcement.

• Explains how social and cultural norms, values, and behaviours are learned through observational learning

• The concepts are supported by empirical evidence from Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) and other studies

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Limitations

• Doesn’t fully explain the cognitive processes involved in learning or how they interact with environmental and individual factors

• Over emphasises the role of observational learning while undervaluing other forms of learning such as operant conditioning

• Doesn’t address biological factors, such as genetic predispositions which can also impact behaviour.

Process of observational learning

1.Attention:

• Individuals pay attention to the modelled behaviour

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2.Retention

• Individuals make a mental representation of the behaviour and retains it

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3.Reproduction

• The mental representation is turned into an action that the individual is capable of producing.

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4.Motivation

• The individual needs to be motivated to reproduce the behaviour. Typically influenced by vicarious reinforcement, and the importance of the model.

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5.Reinforcement

• Provides the learner with information about the likely consequences of certain behaviour under certain conditions

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• Vicarious reinforcement

Modelling

Modelling

• The process of learning by copying others’ behaviour

• Modelling is specifically what the model is doing/showing

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Vicarious reinforcement

• The process whereby a person becomes more likely to engage in a particular behaviour (response) by observing another individual being reinforced for that behaviour

Bobo Doll Experiment (Bandura, Ross and Ross, 1961)

Aim

• To determine whether children who were witnesses to aggressive displays by an adult would imitate this aggressive behaviour when given the opportunity

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Hypotheses

1. Children will imitate the aggressive behaviour of models

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2. Non-aggressive models will have an inhibiting effect

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3. Same-sex model will have more influence

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4. Boys will imitate aggression more than girls

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Sample

• 36 boys, and 36 girls between the ages of 3 & 6.

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Method

• Split the sample into 3 groups

  • 24 children were shown a model behaving aggressively towards a ‘Bobo’ doll. i.e. Hitting it with toys such as a hammer.

  • 24 children were shown a model behaving non-aggressively towards a ‘Bobo’ doll. Ie. Ignoring Bobo, and playing with toys peacefully.

  • 24 children were shown no model.

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• Children were then subjected to a mild arousal task; placed in a room with toys, but told that other children had been given better toys.

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• Children were then placed in a room with aggressive toys (ie. A hammer), non-aggressive toys (ie. A tea set) and a Bobo doll, and were observed for 20 minutes.

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Findings

• Children who observed the aggressive model made far more imitative aggressive responses than those who were in the non-aggressive or control groups.

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• The girls in the aggressive model condition also showed more physical aggressive responses if the model was male, but more verbal aggressive responses if the model was female.

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• Boys were more likely to imitate same-sex models than girls.

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• Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls.

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Contributions

• Demonstrated that children are able to learn social behaviour through observational learning

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• Highlights the importance of role models

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• Highlights the potential impact of exposure to violence on children’s behaviour

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Limitations

• Low ecological validity – how realistic was the aggressive situation? Would they show aggression towards an adult?

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• Male model one of the observers – could be biased

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• Protection – was it right to subject the children to the aggressive condition?

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• Consent – children are unable to provide consent/fully understand experiment

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• Small sample size (BUT pre-testing and matching across conditions)

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• Bobo doll is exciting, different, and designed for such treatment. Was that behaviour really ‘aggression’?