SLT

what is social learning theory

• Learning through imitation - indirect as you are watching what happens as a result of other people's behaviour

  • Both via classical and operant conditioning and indirect behaviours

• Believes in reciprocal determinism - we exert influence on our environment and vice versa - suggests some free will

strengths of the theory?

• Practical application to real life aggression - explanatory power helps us understand why violent crimes are committed by minors and how to prevent teenage violence, Stanley Kubrick withdrew 'A Clockwork Orange' as people imitated violent scenes - provides valuable insights into aggression and how to minimise it

• Acknowledges role of other approaches in explaining human behaviour - takes thought processes (cognitive) into account and recognises role they play in deciding whether behaviour is initiated or not - biological urges to be aggressive are present but SLT teaches when to be aggressive - comprehensive explanation of human

weaknesses of theory?

• Studies have failed to find links between violent films and crime - Ulrich found no relationship and suggested strongest cause of violence is delinquent peer groups where violence is modelled and rewarded - reduces explanatory power as symbolic modelling may not be real

• Disregard other influences due to focus on process of social learning, focus on gender-specific modelling however in real life genetic predispositions, medial portrayals and locus of control influence behaviour - difficult to establish causal relationship due to so many influences

• Perhaps the affect of biology on behaviour is understated in this approach - recent research shows mirror neurons which allow us to empathise and mirror others

stages of SLT?

• Modelling - live model (parent/teacher) or symbolic model (TV character) is required - provide the example of behaviour that can be observed and reproduced in imitation

• Imitation - behaviour patterns are acquired quickly depending on characteristics of the model, observers perceived ability to perform behaviour and observed consequences of behaviour

• Identification - refers to extent to which an individual can relate to a model, observers must feel they are similar enough to experience same outcome if they imitate behaviour - people also imitate those with high status

• Vicarious reinforcement - individuals learn about likely consequences of actions by viewing the model, then observers adjust behaviour accordingly

• Mediational processes - bridge between traditional learning theory and cognitive approach as it focuses on cognitive factors, these mediate to determine whether a new response is acquired, observed behaviours are stored and reproduced

  • Attention - extent to which we notice behaviours that capture our attention because they are interesting, unusual or we recognise them

  • Retention - how well behaviour is remembered if it shocking (strengthen long term memory) or simple (easy to remember)

  • Motor reproduction - ability of observer to perform behaviour - easy to copy based on self-efficacy (confidence)

  • Motivation - will or desire to perform behaviour based on previous success - determined by reward vs punishment

Bandura and Ross (1961)

• Observed behaviour of children who watched an adult:

  • Condition A - adult behaved aggressively with Bobo doll

  • Condition B - adult played non-aggressively with Bobo doll

• Children in Condition 1 more likely to be aggressive towards Bobo doll

• Greater level of imitation when the role model was same sex as child

  • Shows imitation, identification and modelling

Bandura and Walters (1963)

• Showed videos of adults behaving aggressively towards Bobo doll and the consequences

  • Condition 1 - adult praised for aggressive behaviour

  • Condition 2 - adult punished for their aggression

  • Condition 3 - no consequence but aggression

• Most aggression - condition 1

• Least aggression - condition 2

  • Shows vicarious reinforcement and mediational processes

 

• Both studies demonstrated children imitating observed behaviours

• Boys on average were more aggressive - stereotypical aggression

Bandura - ACTUAL STUDY predictions

4 predictions

• Children observing aggression modelled by an adult will imitate the behaviour, even if the model was no longer present.   

• Non‐aggressive models will result in an aggression‐inhibiting behaviour (self‐control).  

• Children will imitate the behaviour of the same sex model more than that of a model of the opposite sex.  

• Boys will show more aggressive behaviour than girls, with highest aggression being demonstrated by boys exposed to a male model.

methodology

• Bandura worked with Stanford University and drew his sample from the university’s nursery school.

• Ppts were 3-6 years old (72 children; 36 girls and 36 boys).

• Aggressiveness was controlled by ensuring that each group contained equally aggressive children.

• Aggressiveness ratings of the children were determined beforehand by an experimenter who knew the children well and one of the children’s teachers.

• Participants matched on aggression:

  • The inter-rater reliability (agreement) between the experimenter and the nursery schoolteacher in relation to the children’s aggression ratings was high.

  • Bandura then arranged ppts in groups of 3, depending on their levels of aggression. 

  • So, three children with high aggression would be placed together and then placed into different conditions (one in each).

stages of study

Phase 1 - 10 mins

• The children in both experimental conditions were taken into room 1 and observed an aggressive or non-aggressive model.

• Aggressive condition: model started playing with some other toys but after a minute began acting aggressively towards the Bobo Doll.

 

The physically aggressive acts included:

Sitting on and punching the Bobo doll

Raising the Bobo doll up and hitting it on the head with a mallet

Throwing the Bobo doll in the air and kicking it around the room

 

The verbally aggressive responses were:

'Pow' 'Throw him in the air' 'kick him' 'sock him on the nose' 'hit him down'

 

• Non-aggressive condition: model ignored the Bobo doll, playing with other toys in a quiet subdued way.

 

Phase 2 - 2 min

• All the children (including those in the control group) took part in this stage.

• They were taken to room 2 and allowed to play with toys for 2 minutes.

• The experimenter then stopped the child, telling them that these were the very best toys and that they were saving them for other children. They then told them that they could play with any of the toys in the next room and took them to room 3. 

  • To initiate frustration and aggression arousal

 

Phase 3 - 20 min

• The experimenter took them to room 3 which contained a variety of toys, including the Bobo doll.

• The child was able to play with the toys and their behaviour was observed (by 2 observers) through a one-way mirror.

 

They were observed for:

• Direct imitation (e.g. imitation of aggressive acts that the model exhibited)

• Indirect imitation (e.g. engaging in aggressive acts that were similar to the model’s, such as hitting other objects with the mallet when the model only hit the Bobo doll with the mallet)

• Non-imitated aggressive behaviour (engaging in novel aggressive behaviour, such as behaving aggressively towards other objects or using novel aggressive phrases)

findings

• Children in the aggressive group imitated many of the model’s physical and verbal behaviours.

• Children in the non-aggressive and control group displayed very few aggressive behaviours (70% of them had zero scores as in no aggressive behaviour displayed)

 

Additional findings:

• Children in the non-aggression group spent more time playing non-aggressively with dolls than children in the other groups.

• Same sex imitation: There was some evidence to suggest evidence of a ‘same sex effect’ for boys but not for girls (meaning that boys were more likely to imitate behaviours of male models)

• Sex of the model: The male models had a greater influence in general than the female models.

• Sex of the child: boys imitated more physical aggression than girls, but the groups didn’t differ in terms of verbal aggression.

strengths of research

• There is supporting research - Fox and Bailenson in 2009 used computer generated humans that either looked similar or dissimilar to participants and they found participants typically engaged in more exercise if they viewed the virtual human that was similar to them doing so - greater identification with a model leads to participants finding it easier to copy them

• Laboratory experiment - controlled environment - manipulation of IV allowed for DV to be measured - control all extraneous variables - establish causal relationship

  • also the random allocation into three groups, matching ppts on aggression, covert, high inter-rater reliability

  • very credible study

weaknesses of research

• Laboratory experiment - contrived situation where participants may react to demand characteristics - children may have hit the doll as this is what they thought they had to do - reduces internal validity and impacts scientific credibility

• Ethical issues - protection from harm and the wellbeing of participants - children may be distressed or have behavioural issues due to it - cost-benefit analysis showed that benefits to society outweighed risks to children