Approaches In Psychology : Social Learning Theory Flashcards
What is social learning theory
A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement, combining learning theory with cognitive factors
Assumptions of social learning theory
Albert Bandura agreed with the behaviourist that behaviour is learned from experience.
However, his social learning theory proposed a different way in which people learn - THROUGH OBSERVATION AND IMITATION of others
SLT suggested that learning occurs directly through classical and operant conditioning but also indirectly.
What is vicarious reinforcement
Reinforcement which is into directly experienced but occurs through observing someone else being reinforced for a behaviour
When does imitation occur
When the behaviour observed is seen to be rewarded (reinforced) rather than punished
Vicariously reinforcement occurs
THUS the learner observes a behaviour but most importantly observes the consequences of the behaviour
The role of mediational processes
SLT is often described as the bridge between learning theory and the cognitive approach because it focuses on how mental factors are involved in learning.
These mental factors mediate in the learning process to determine whether a new response is acquired
What is the acronym for mediational processes
A R M M
What are the mediational processes
ATTENTION - the extent to which we notice certain behaviours
RETENTION - how well behaviour is remembered
MOTOR REPRODUCTION - the ability of the observer to perform the behaviour
MOTIVATION - the will to perform the behaviour, often determined by whether behaviour is rewarded or punished
What do the first two mediational processes relate to and what do the second two relate too
Learning
Performance
Why is this different to traditional behaviourism
The learning and performance do not need to occur together
Observed behaviours may be stored by the observer and reproduced at a later time
What is identification
When an observe associated themselves with a role model and wants to be like the role model
What is modelling
The person they identify with is called a role model and the process of imitating a role model is called modelling.
IMITATING THE BEHAVIOUR OF A ROLE MODEL
When does a person become a role model
If they are seen to possess similar characteristics to the observer and/or are attractive and have a higher status.
Role models may not be physically present in the environment, and this has implications for the influence if the media on behaviour
What was banduras reasearch
1961
Recorded the behaviour of young children who watched an adult behave in an aggressive way towards a BODO doll.
The adult hit the doll with a hammer and shouted abuse at it
When these children were later observed playing with various toys, including a bodo doll, they behaved much more aggressively towards the doll and other toys than those who had observed a non aggressive adult
What did bandura and Richard Walter’s do
Showed videos to children where an adult behaved aggressively towards a bodo doll.
One group of children saw the adult praised for their behaviour being told WELL DONE
A second group saw the adult be punished for their behaviour by being told off
The third group (control) saw the aggression without any consequence
FIRST - MORE AGGRESSION
THIRD - LESS AGGRESSION THAN FIRST
SECOND - LEAST AGGRESSION
STRENGTH of social learning theory
Recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning.
Neither classical nor operant conditioning can offer an adequate account of learning on their own.
Humans and animals store information about the behaviour of others and use it to make judgements. About when it is appropriate to perform certain actions
BANDURA : “learning would be exceedingly laborious and hazardous if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. From observing the behaviour of others one forms an idea of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide to action”
This suggest SLT provides a more comprehensive explanation of human learning by recognising the role of mediational processes.
What us a counter point to recognising the importance of cognitive factors In learning (LIMITATION)
SLT has been criticised for making too little reference to the influence of biological factors on social learning.
Although Bandura claimed natural biological differences influenced our learning potential, he thought the learning itself was determined by the environment.
However, recent research suggests that observational learning, of the kind Bandura was talking about, may be the result of MIRROR NEURONES in the brain, which allow us to emphathise with and imitate other people.
This suggests that biological influences on social learning were under emphasised in SLT
LIMITATION of SLT
The evidence on which it is based was gathered through lab studies
Many of banduras ideas was developed through observation of young children’s behaviour in a lab.
Lab studies are often criticised for their contrived nature where participants may respond to demand characteristics.
It has been suggested, in relation to the bodo doll research, that because the main purpose of the doll is to strike it the children were simply behaving the way they thought was expected.
This suggests that the research may tell us little about how children actually learn aggression in everyday life
STRENGTH of SLT
SLT principles have been applied to a range of real world behaviours.
Advantage of being able to explain cultural differences in behaviour
SLT principles such as imitation, modelling and reinforcement can account for how children learn from others around them, including the media and this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies
This has proved useful in understanding a wide range of behaviours, such as how children come to understand their gender role.
This increases the value of the approach as it can account for real world behaviours
Extra evaluation
Bandura emphasised RECIPROCAL DETERMINISM in the sense that we are not merely influenced by our external environment, but we also exert an influence upon it, through behaviours we choose to perform.
This element of choice suggests that there is some FREE WILL in the way that we behave
This contrast the behaviourist approach which denies the possibility of free will
