SLT

AO1

• bandura agrees with the behaviourists that behaviour is learned from experience

• his SLT proposed that people also learn through observation and imitation of others, directly and indirectly

• vicarious reinforcement

  • indirect learning

  • imitation only occurs if the behaviour is reinforced and rewarded

  • the learner observes a behaviour and also the consequences of that behaviour

• role of mediational processes

  • mental factors that mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired

  • attention - to what extent we notice behaviours

  • retention - how well the behaviour is remembered

  • motor reproduction - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour

  • motivation - the will to perform the behaviour

• identification

  • people, especially children, are more likely to imitate people they identify with, a role model

  • modelling - the process of imitating a role model

    • also the behaviour the role model presents is called modelling

  • a person becomes a role model if they are seen to possess similar characteristic to the observer and/or are attractive and have high status.

  • role models dont need to be physically present and this has implications for the role and influence of media on behaviour

AO3

• one strength of the SLT is that it recognises the role of cognitive factors

• neither classical nor operant conditioning can offer an adequate explanation for learning on their own. humans and animals store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to perform certain actions

• this suggests that the SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation for learning by recognising the role of mediational processes

  • CA - despite this, the SLT makes little reference to the biological influences on learning. although bandura claimed that natural biological differences influenced our learning potential, learning was mostly determined by the environment. however, recent research suggests that observational learning may be the result of mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise and imitate other people. this suggests that learning is also affected by biology which was undermined by the SLT

• a limitation of the SLT is that evidence was gathered from contrived lab studies

• many of bandura’s ideas were developed through the observation of children in a controlled lab setting. lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where ppts may respond to demand characteristics

• it has been suggested that the children only striked the bobo doll because they thought they were expected to do so.

• this suggests that the research tells us very little about how children actually learn in everyday life.

• another strength of the SLT is that it has RWA

• it has the ability to explain cultural differences in behaviour. SLT principles such as modelling, imitation and reinforcement can account for how children learn from others around them, including the media, and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through societies. this has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their gender role

• this increases the value of the approach as it can account for real world behaviour