5. APPROACHES (Social Learning Theory) Flashcards
What does Bandura’s Social Learning Theory suggest about behaviour?
Behaviour is learned from the environment by observing others and the consequences they receive, rather than being directly shaped by reinforcement or punishment.
What are the basic assumptions of Social Learning Theory?
- Behaviour is learned from the environment, not genetically inherited.
- Behaviour is learned by observing others and the reinforcement or punishment they receive.
- Individuals decide whether to imitate behaviour based on the observed consequences.
What is ‘Identification’ in the context of Social Learning Theory?
Identification occurs when an individual imitates behaviour from someone they relate to or aspire to be like. This can be influenced by factors such as gender, ethnicity, status, and expertise.
What is the difference between ‘Imitation’ and ‘Modelling’?
- Imitation: The act of copying a behaviour observed from a role model.
- Modelling: The process of observing a role model’s behaviour, which may be imitated later.
What is ‘Vicarious Reinforcement’?
Vicarious reinforcement occurs when an observer sees someone else receive a reward for their behaviour, which makes it more likely for the observer to imitate that behaviour.
What are the four mediational processes in Social Learning Theory?
- Attention: The behaviour must be noticed.
- Retention: The behaviour must be remembered.
- Motor Reproduction: The individual must be physically capable of imitating the behaviour.
- Motivation: The individual must be motivated to perform the behaviour, often influenced by perceived rewards.
Can you explain the role of mediational processes using an example?
Example: Natasha notices her mum putting on lipstick (Attention), remembers how to apply it (Retention), can apply it herself (Motor Reproduction), and is motivated to do so because she wants compliments from her dad (Motivation).
What was the aim of Bandura, Ross, and Ross (1961) study?
To examine whether children would imitate an aggressive adult model and to see if the gender of the model influenced the child’s motivation to imitate.
What were the key findings of Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961)?
Children who observed an aggressive model acted more aggressively. Boys were more aggressive than girls, and there was greater imitation of same-sex role models.
What did Bandura, Ross & Ross (1963) find in their follow-up study regarding the effects of reinforcement on aggression?
Children who saw the model rewarded for aggression showed more aggression themselves, followed by those who saw the model punished, and least aggression was shown by those who saw the model receive no consequence.
What is a limitation of Bandura’s studies in terms of ecological validity?
The study took place in a controlled, unfamiliar environment (rooms with toys) and did not reflect real-life interactions, making the results less generalizable.
What is a limitation of Bandura’s studies regarding the participants?
The use of children as participants means the results might not reflect true behaviour. Children may have imitated aggressive behaviour because they thought that was the ‘correct’ response in the experimental setting.
What are some ethical concerns regarding Bandura’s studies?
The manipulation of children to act aggressively and the induction of aggression arousal could have caused psychological harm, violating ethical guidelines such as ‘protection of participants.’
How does Social Learning Theory explain aggression?
Social Learning Theory suggests that aggression is learned by observing others, particularly when the behaviour is modelled by someone of the same gender or when the behaviour is rewarded.
What is one strength of Social Learning Theory regarding cultural differences?
Social Learning Theory helps explain cultural differences in behaviour, as it suggests that behaviours are learned by observing different models within a society, contributing to cultural norms transmission.
