Approaches in psychology - Social Learning theory

Question 1

What are the basic assumptions of SLT ?

Answer 1

Observation -> we learn behaviour through the environment + things we observe
it takes thought processes into account
If we see other people being positively reinforced we are then influenced to imitate their behaviour

Question 2

Who is the learning theorist ?

Answer 2

Bandura

Question 3

What does the learning theorist do with skinners ideas ?

Answer 3

Challenges the idea that reward + punishment will prompt / stop behaviour automatically

Question 4

What does Bandura think instead of skinner’s idea?

Answer 4

Reinforces + punishment merely inform the individual of likely consequences + it is down to the individuals to whether their behaviour is affected by the potential consequences

Question 5

What is social learning theory also known as ?

Answer 5

Social cognitive theory

Question 6

What is Banduras idea?

Answer 6

We learn behaviour by observing the positive + negative consequences of someone else’s behaviour

Question 7

What is vicarious reinforcement ?

Answer 7

When we indirectly learn from the consequences of other people actions

Question 8

What experiment did Bandura, Ross + Ross carry out in 1961?

Answer 8

Bobo doll experiment

Question 9

What does Bandura’s idea mean?

Answer 9

We learn the behaviour vacorisously.
we don’t receive the rewards / punishment directly, the person who is modelling the behaviour does. So these people are referred to as the role models.
Meaning that we learn indirectly from role models

Question 10

What was Bandura’s experiment designed to do?

Answer 10

Examine the role of a model on influencing an observer’s behaviour -> to what extent will a role models’ behaviour effect an individual
Once the role model is no longer present will behaviour continue

Question 11

What was the aim of the Bandura’s experiment ?

Answer 11

To examine if the sex of the role model influenced same sex / opposite sex pmts to a different degree

Question 12

Explain Bandura’s experiment

Answer 12

Children either observed an adult role model being aggressive or non aggressive towards a bobo doll.
Children were put in another room + exposed to mild frustration. then put into another room with the doll + aggressive / non-aggressive toys

Question 13

What were the results of Bandura’s experiment ?

Answer 13

Children who observed the adult being aggressive went on to imitate the aggression on the doll.
Less aggression was seen in the group who watched the non-aggressive adult behaviour.

Question 14

What part of the Bandura’s results would biological psychologists disagree with?

Answer 14

The fact that the boys being more aggressive was due to observation, they would say it was due to boys having higher levels of tesorterone than girls

Question 15

What conclusion did Bandura come to?

Answer 15

Children exposed too aggressive role models are likely to imitate their behaviour.
They are more likely to imitate same sex role models

Question 16

Evaluate the Bobo doll experiment

Answer 16

Long term effects are not shown as experiment was not repeated or followed up
Behaviour could have been interpreted wrong as Bobo doll is designed to be hit, so validity is affected
Cant be generalised as we dont know if they would act this way towards humans

Question 17

What are the key concepts if social learning approach ?

Answer 17

Imitation
Identification
Modelling
Vicarious reinforcement

Question 18

Define imitation

Answer 18

Individual observes a behaviour from a role model + copies it

Question 19

What form of copying behaviour is imitation and why?

Answer 19

Short term because it cannot be copied exactly, it is just a simulation

Question 20

What is meant by identification?

Answer 20

Individual influenced by another person because they are in some way similar / wish to be like them

Question 21

What type of copying behaviour is identification?

Answer 21

Long term

Question 22

In identification what are the factors which influence the choice of role models ?

Answer 22

Gender
Ethnicity
High status
Greater expertise

Question 23

When does identification only occur?

Answer 23

When there is a reason

Question 24

When learning theories refer to modelling what do they mean?

Answer 24

When the individual imitates a persons behaviour later on

Question 25

What are the 4 mediating processes ?

Answer 25

Attention
Retention
Reproduction
Motivation

Question 26

What are mediating processes ?

Answer 26

Our thoughts prior to imitating a behaviour

Question 27

Explain attention as a mediating process

Answer 27

the behaviour has to grab our attention, so it is pivotal in whether a behaviour has an influence on it being imitated

Question 28

Explain retention as a mediating process

Answer 28

for a behaviour to be imitated, there needs to be a memory of it so it can be reproduced

Question 29

Explain the mediating process reproduction

Answer 29

we are limited by our physical ability, so we cant carry out everything that we see + desire to do. So, this is a major influence on our decision

Question 30

Explain motivation as a mediating process

Answer 30

us as observers consider the rewards + punishments that allow a behaviour. If we see that there is no overall reward we won’t carry it out

Question 31

What are the strengths of social learning theory ?

Answer 31

Thought processes + the role they play in deciding whether to carry out a behaviour are taken into account

Can successfully explain the imitation of certain behaviours

Use experimental methods -> scientific

Question 32

What are the weaknesses of social learning theory ?

Answer 32

Not a full explanation of behaviour, there are no apparent role model in the person’s life to imitate for a given behaviour
Range of scientific methods are used, including observation which is said to be unscientific