AN - Social Learning Theory

Question 1

Modelling

Answer 1

Y- oung people observe role models (e.g. sibling or friend) trying to lose weight in order to have skinny body shape + imitate this behaviour (modelling)
- They do this by dieting and undereating, leading to weight loss and increasing risk of developing anorectic tendencies.

Question 2

Role of Vicarious Reinforcement and identification:

Answer 2

• This is especially the case if the role model has been reinforced/rewarded for their skinny body shape (e.g. receiving compliments) as the observer will seek the same reward and may try hard to avoid food to lose weight (vicarious reinforcement).
• If the observer identifies with role model (e..g shares characteristics with them or see them as attractive + having high status), they are even more likely to imitate their anorexic tendencies to lose weight - further increasing likelihood they will develop AN
• • Women also use internet forums and social network (which acts as support networks and role models)

Question 3

Media:

Answer 3

• According to SLT, media is a major source of influence for the body image attitudes maintained by western adolescents.
• In the last 50 years, female role models were taller and slimmer which is demonstrated by images of women in magazines over time.
• This exposure to media changes the view of standard female attractiveness - which leads to dissatisfaction with one’s own body image and shape, leading to a desire to lose weight and therefore anorexia nervosa.

Question 4

Reinforcement:

Answer 4

• Anorexia is a learnt behaviour through observation and maintained through positive reinforcement
• If they do manage to lose weight, the reinforcement will be direct in the form of praise and attention from friends+ family. Therefore anorexia becomes a learned behaviour through observation which is maintained by positive reinforcement.

Question 5

Evals:

Answer 5

+ research support (Costa-Font and Jofre Bonet)
+ supporting evidence (Becker)
- it cannot explain why only some people develop anorexia.
- there is cultural and gender bias

Question 6

A strength of SLT of AN is that there is support for the role of peers as role models.

Answer 6

Costa-Font and Jofre Bonet: investigated the effect of peer weight on the likelihood of an individual developing anorexia. They found that individuals who had peers with a larger BMI (body mass index) had a lower likelihood of subsequently developing an eating disorder such as AN. This association between BMI and the likelihood of becoming anorexic was even more marked in younger women. This suggests having peers w/ an average / higher than average BMI, reduces the chance of developing an eating disorder, whereas having peers w/ a lower than average BMI increases the chance of developing anorexia.

Increasing validity.

Question 7

A strength of SLT is that there is evidence for the role of the media in shaping perceptions of body image.

Answer 7

Eating attitudes and behaviours were studied among adolescent Fijian girls, following the introduction of TV in 1995 (Becker). The girls stated a desire to lose weight to become more like western television characters. After five years there were significant numbers of girls with anorexia, even though the disorder was absent before the introduction of TV.

This supports the social learning explanation as it shows that exposure to thin role models may lead to dissatisfaction with ones own body and contribute to development of anorexic tendencies.

Increasing validity.

Question 8

A limitation of the SLT explanation of anorexia nervosa is that it cannot explain why only some people develop anorexia.

Answer 8

Everyone in western society are exposed to the same media images, but it is only a minority of individuals who develop eating disorders. This suggests that there are other factors that make an individual vulnerable such as perfectionism, high social anxiety and low self-esteem.

Thereforem it is clear that the media is not directly responsible for disordered eating.

SLT explanation is incomplete. Decrease in validity.

Question 9

A weakness of SLT explanation of NA is that there is cultural and gender bias.

Answer 9

The focus of the research is still on a predominantly western female population. Most existing anorexia research takes place on Western females ppts. Although there is an increasing number of cross-cultural research, most studies take place in the West. It is mainly female too, leads to limited understanding of anorexia for men, so might work differently.

Therefore SLT is better at explaining development of AN in western females and needs further work to get an understanding of the complexities of AN for all sufferers.