6.1.2 Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Define ‘role model’.

Answer 1

A person looked up to by someone else who identifies w them + imitates their behaviour due to their perceived higher status

Question 2

3 examples of characteristics of role models

Answer 2

1) Gender
2) Age
3) Status

Question 3

Give 2 examples of the characteristics of the observer.

Answer 3

1) Low self esteem
2) High self-efficacy (belief that they can carry out same behaviour as their RM)

Question 4

State the 4 main stages of social learning.

Answer 4

1) Attention
2) Retention
3) Reproduction
4) Motivation

Question 5

Describe the 1st stage of social learning

Answer 5

The observer pays attention to the behaviours of the role model in order to learn from them due to idolising them.

Question 6

Describe 1st stage of SLT with a crim exmaple

Answer 6

Child pays attention to his father stealing from a shop due to idolising his dad (closest same sex RM)

Question 7

Describe the 2nd stage of social learning

Answer 7

The observer retains the behaviour being modelled and usually involves imitation at a later date with mental rehearsal to remember complicated actions.

Question 8

Describe 2nd stage of SLT w crim example

Answer 8

Child retains info of his father stealing

Question 9

Describe the 3rd stage of social learning

Answer 9

The observed behaviour is then performed and involves reproducing what has been retained.

Question 10

Describe 3rd stage of SLT w crim example

Answer 10

-Child reproduces father’s actions by stealing.

Question 11

Describe the 4th stage of social learning

Answer 11

Motivation to continue may come from vicarious, external, and internal reinforcements, whereby vicarious or internal reinforcement are the highest motivators.

Question 12

Describe 4th stage of SLT w crim example

Answer 12

Vicarious reinforcement eg seeing his dad receive no consequences eg jail for stealing, or internal motivation of thrill seeking from the adrenaline of stealing

Question 13

Define ‘vicarious reinforcement’.

Answer 13

If an observed behaviour is punished it is less likely to be reproduced and if rewarded it is more likely to be reproduced.

Question 14

Define ‘external reinforcement’.

Answer 14

If a behaviour is rewarded it will be repeated.

Question 15

Define ‘internal reinforcement’.

Answer 15

Behaviour is more motivating if some internal need is satisfied, such as excitement.

Question 16

EACH-Evidence

Answer 16

P - Bandura supports
E - He found that children were more aggressive after observing an adult being aggressive towards a Bobo doll
E - Therefore suggesting that people can exhibit aggressive behaviour (that may lead to crime) when observing a role model doing so
P - Huesmann and Eron (1986) supports
E - Found that the more violence people watched on TV the more likely they were to have committed a crime by the age of 30
E - Thus demonstrating that observing criminal behaviour can lead to reproducing it in the future after retaining the information

Question 17

EACH-Application