Behaviourism: Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory (SLT) expands on Behaviourist Theories:

  • A guy called Bandura developed SLT in the 1960s. It agrees with the idea that people can learn a lot from role models. Some mediational (Cognitive) processes are also involved between the stimulus and the response

  • People must focus their attention on the role model, perceive what they do and remember it to learn how to do it too

Behaviour is learnt through different processes:

SLT proposes that several processes take place for learning to happen:

  • Modelling involves observing and imitating another person (the model). It also requires identification with the model- where certain attractive qualities and characteristics are picked up on. If you identify with the model, you can copy and learn from their behaviour. The model will often be someone who is significant to the observer (e.g. a parent, a celebrity, or a peer)

Behaviour can also be learnt through:

  • Reinforcement: Positive and Negative reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to happen again in the future

  • Vicarious Reinforcement: Seeing others being rewarded for a behaviour influences someone in whether they choose to imitate the behaviour

… and Mediated through Cognitive Processes

For effective learning, mediational processes need to happen. These are cognitive processes:

  1. Attention: To learn a behaviour from others, you have to pay attention. Once you notice your role model, you have to give your full attention and attend to their behaviour

  2. Retention: Not only do you need to pay attention at the time, but you need to remember what you observed to be able to model it

  3. Reproduction: You then judge whether you have the ability to reproduce the behaviour. If you think you can reproduce the behaviour, you’re far more likely to do it. (e.g. if you think you can’t juggle with fire, you’re unlikely to copy a fire-juggler.)

  4. Motivation: Finally, You evaluate the direct or indirect results of imitating the behaviour. If the behaviour results in a good reward, you’re more likely to imitate it

Social Learning Theory is reductionist:

  • SLT is a reductionist theory- it explains things through very basic cause-and-effect mechanisms.

  • For example, It explains all behaviour as a result of learning from others and ignores any biological explanations

Bandura studied imitation of aggression:

Bandura et al (1961) showed successfully how children imitate and can be influenced by adult role models

Bandura et al (1961)- Imitation of aggressive models:

  • Method: 36 girls and 36 boys with a mean age of 52 months took part in the study. The study matched the participant’s design (Children were matched on ratings of aggressive behaviour shown at their nursery school) and had three conditions. In the first condition, children observed aggressive adult models playing with a Bobo doll- e.g. hitting it with a mallet. In the second, children observed non-aggressive models playing with other toys and ignoring the Bobo doll. The third condition was a control condition in which children had no exposure to the models. The children’s behaviour was then observed for 20 minutes in a room containing aggressive toys (e.g. a Bobo doll, a mallet) and non-aggressive toys (e.g a tea set, crayons)

  • Results: Children exposed to aggressive models imitated a lot of their aggressive behaviour. Children in the non-aggressive and control conditions showed barely any aggressive behaviour. Aggressive behaviour was slightly higher in the control condition than in the non-aggressive condition

  • Conclusion: Aggressive behaviour is learned through imitation of others behaving aggressively

  • Evaluation: This study provides evidence for social learning theory. There was strict control of the variable, meaning that the results are likely to be reliable and the study can be replicated. However, it has low ecological validity because the participants weren’t in a natural situation. It’s also difficult to generalise the results because a limited sample was studied- the children were all from the same school. The study encouraged aggression in children- this could be an ethical problem

Some comments on SLT, Behaviourism and Bandura’s research:

  1. Bandura’s study shows that reinforcement is not needed for learning. We can learn just by observing. However, the reinforcement the model is seen to receive may have an effect- for example, if you see a model punished for an action, you’re unlikely to copy it

  2. Bobo dolls are designed for ‘aggressive play’- you’re supposed to hit them. As well as this, the children rather than observational learning

  3. Behavioourism and SLT emphasise learning as the cause of the behaviour and so are on the ‘nurture’ side of the nature-nurture debate. This has implications for society. For example, children may imitate aggression from media role models. However, potential genetic influences are not taken into account

  4. It can often be difficult to conclude that observational learning has taken place. Sometimes, behaviours can be repeated a long time after they’ve been observed