Social cognitive theory

Explanation: Social cognitive learning theory was developed mainly by Albert Bandura and suggests that behaviour is learned from the environment through the processes of modelling and reinforcement. The basic idea of the theory is that we do not need to experience everything personally in order to learn. We can learn by watching other people.

Bandura recognized that there are certain conditions that are necessary for social learning to take place:

Attention: To learn, observers must attend to the modelled behaviour.
Retention: To reproduce an observed behaviour, observers must be able to remember features of the behaviour.
Motivation: To reproduce an observed behaviour, observers must want to reproduce it and expect a certain outcome from the behaviour.
Potential: To reproduce an observed behaviour, observers must physically and/or mentally be able to carry out the behaviour.

There are several factors that affect the overall potential for social learning:

  1. The model stands out in contrast to other models

  2. The model's behaviour must be consistent.

  3. The model is liked and respected by the observer

  4. The observer perceives a similarity between him/herself and the model (member of in-group)

  5. The model’s behaviour is reinforced.

Studies:

Kimball et al (1986)

Aim → the role of television on the development of gender stereotypes in elementary school children

Research method → natural experiment

Sample → taking advantage of the introduction of television in a remote area of Canada. 536 children in four different communities. 130 children from Notel (that is, No Television), 135 from Unitel (one station), 166 from Multitel (more than one station) and 105 from Vancouver (control group)

Procedure → The children's level of gender stereotyping was measured using the Sex role Differentiation (SRD) scale. The SRD was administered to all students in grades 6 and 9 in each of the three towns both before and 2 years after television was introduced to Notel.

Results → Before their town had television, Notel children held more egalitarian gender attitudes than children who viewed television regularly. Girls had lower levels of gender stereotyping than boys at the beginning of the study. Two years after Notel obtained television, gender stereotyping had significantly increased in both the NOTEL boys and girls

Evaluation → ecological validity is high, low internal validity

Bandura (1961)

aim →  to investigate whether children would learn aggressive behaviour by imitating an adult model

  • Vicarious reinforcement → learning through observation of the consequences of actions for other people

method → lab experiment

design → matched pairs + independent sample design

procedure →

1) matched children based on preexisting levels of aggression.

2) room 1- The model exhibits aggressive or non-aggressive behaviour towards toys while children observe

3) room 2- frustration and anger arousal in which children play with toys but then are told no

4) room 3- children play with toys and are observed

Variables → IV1: control ; IV2: sex of model ; IV3: sex of children; DV: behaviour of children

Results: more instances of aggression in aggressive group

Boys imitated physical aggression, girls imitated verbal aggression from a female model

Both acted more physically aggressive with the male model

Evaluation:

ethical use of children

low ecological validity