3. Explain Social Cognitive Theory with Reference to one study. Flashcards
What does Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) explain?
SCT explains how people learn behavior through observation
What can individuals acquire by watching others according to SCT?
New behaviors
What are the four essential processes for learning in SCT?
- Attention
- Retention
- Potential
- Motivation
What influences motivation in SCT?
Vicarious reinforcement
What was the age range of children in Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?
3 - 6 years
How many children were involved in Bandura’s study?
72 children
How many groups were the children divided into during the experiment?
Three groups
What behavior did the first group in the experiment observe?
An adult model behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll
What behavior did the second group in the experiment observe?
An adult model behaving calmly
What was observed in the third group of children?
No model
What was the duration of the children’s behavior observation with the Bobo doll?
20 minutes
Which group of children exhibited the most aggression in the study?
Children who observed the aggressive model
Who were more likely to imitate physical aggression according to the study?
Boys, especially when the model was male
What did girls tend to imitate more directly in the study?
Female models
What did the study suggest about children learning aggressive behavior?
They learned by watching the models
