Approaches Flashcards
What is the Learning Approach?
The theory that all behaviour and development derive from our environment and are not innate
Define SLT
Social Learning Theory outlines how people learn through observation
What are the 4 steps that take place when a person both learns and replicates actions as a result of SLT?
Attention - focuses on the behaviour and the consequence that it brings (good or bad)
Retention - Stores observed behaviour in LTM
Reproduction - is able to reproduce the behaviour seen
Motivation - expectation of the same positive reinforcement that the observed behaviour received
What are role models and how do they impact SLT?
- A role model is a person that we associate with, this can be a friend, relative, celebrity, fictional character, etc
- we are more likely to replicate their actions as we look up to them / observe their behaviour more
What was the aim, procedure, and findings of the Bobo doll study conducted by Bandura (1961)
Aim - to see how SLT would affect children
Procedure - an all American test group of 36 boys and 36 girls were split into 3 groups of 12 boys and 12 girls. Each child was put in a room with an adult confederate, toys and a bobo doll. group 1 observed the adult being aggressive (hitting, shouting, etc) group 2 saw the adult being calm, and group 3 saw no role model at all
Findings - the children replicated the actions of their respective adult, with group 1 being the most aggressive. Boys were also more aggressive across the board than girls were
Outline a the follow up study conducted by Bandura & Walters (1963)
After repeating the Bobo doll study with variations, they found that children were more likely to repeat the actions of the role model confederate when they were positively reinforced
Bandura’s research AO3
- Lacks ecological validity - was a lab study
- Doll is inanimate - may have reacted, differently if a real person was used instead of the doll
- Takes cognitive function into account
- Does not explain why the boys were more aggressive than the girls were
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association
What was the aim, procedure and findings of research into classical conditioning performed by Pavlov?
Aim - to see if dogs could associate a separate stimulus with food
Procedure - the dogs used in the study had vials attached to their cheeks to measure the amount of saliva the dogs produced at different times. Pavlov began to always ring a bell when the dogs were fed to see if the dogs would associate the bell with food
Findings - over time, the dogs associated the food with the bell. To the point where the dogs would salivate just as much as when they were about to be fed when the bell was rang and no food was given to them
What is operant conditioning?
Learning through consequences
Define positive reinforcement
Receiving a reward for a certain action
Define negative reinforcement
An action which prevents something bad from happening (revising is negatively reinforced to reduce the chance of getting bad grades)
Define punishment
An unpleasant consequence as a result of a certain action
Outline the research Skinner performed into SLT
A rat was placed into a box that contained a lever, which would release food when pulled. The rat quickly learned to pull the lever for food. Supporting the idea of positive reinforcement
SLT AO3
- Support studies - Pavlov, Lil’ Albert, Skinner, Bandura
- Introduced scientific methods to psychology
- Not representative studies - most of the studies were performed using animals, not humans
- Does not take memory/biological factors into account
- neglects the influence of free will
