Approaches- social learning theory Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the learning approach- there are 4
1) ALL behaviour is learnt and ALL we have at birth is a capacity to learn2) A person is a product of their environment and born a blank slate (tabula rasa)3) EXTREMELY nurture 4) Argues in order for psychology to be scientific it should focus on observable behaviour which can be objectively measured.
What are the 5 key features of social learning theory
1) vicarious reinforcement 2) modelling 3) vicarious punishment 4) identification 5) imitation
What was the neutral stimuli in Pavlov’s research?
The bell
What was the unconditioned stimuli is Pavlov’s research
Food
What does ‘one trial learning’ mean, with an example
When conditioning occurs immediately after only one trail. When people have food poisoning they may avoid said food
What does ‘stimulus generalisation’ mean
Extension of the original response from the conditioned stimuli to a similar stimuli
What does ‘discrimination’ mean
The conditioned response is produced only by the original stimuli, it doesn’t extend to similiar stimuli
Key assumption of operant conditioning
Behaviour is learnt from consequences Future behaviour is determined by consequences of past behaviour
What is a primary reinforcer With an example
Anything that fulfils a basic/biological need I.e food
What is a secondary reinforcer With an example
Not inherently reinforcing- only becomes a reinforcer because it is associated with primary reinforcer I.e a mother
What is continuous reinforcementWith an example
Behaviour is rewarded each time is occurs E.g rat gets a food pellet each time it hits the button
What is partial reinforcement
Desired behaviour is only reinforced part or some of the time
What is a fixed ratio schedule, with relevance to Skinners work
Rat gets a food pellet after 5 lever presses
What is a variable ratio schedule, with relevance to Skinners work
Rat gets a food pellet after a number of lever presses that changes all the time
What is positive reinforcement
Increasing the frequency of a desired behaviour by giving a pleasant consequence
What is negative reinforcement
Increasing the frequency of a desired behviour by removing something unpleasant
What was a positive reinforcer in Skinner’s work
When rat pressed lever, food pellet was released
What was a negative reinforcer in Skinner’s work
Rat had to press lever to turn off electric current which was running through floor so electric shocks would stop.
What is punishment
Reducing frequency of a desired behaviour by giving unpleasant consequences
What was an example of punishment in Skinner’s research
Rat got shock when pressed lever so didn’t press lever again
Evaluation of behaviourism -Evidence, Little Albert
Little Albert was conditioned to fear rats. Through pairing rats (NS) with an unpleasant stimulus of a loud bang (UCS), after 7 pairings Albert showed fear in response to the rat. Watson & Rayner had used CC to teach/condition a fear response.
Evaluation of behaviourism- Scientific
The approach uses both objective and falsifiable methods to study only observable behaviours that underline stimulus-response links e.g. focusing on just the behavioural responses of spider phobics in response to spiders rather than internal cognitions.
Evaluation of behaviourism - Issue with evidence
E.g Pavlov done on dogs evolutionary discontinuity Too many qualitative difference e.g humans have a LADCan’t generalise findings
Evaluation of behaviourism - environmental determinism
Behaviourism proposes that most of our behaviour is determined (caused) by past experiences that have been conditioned through our interactions with the environment.Skinner argued that everything we do is the sum of our reinforcement history.This means the approach offers an incomplete explanation of human behaviour, neglecting proven biological factors in human behaviour as well as free-will.
What is imitation
This is when an individual copies the behaviour that they have observed a role model performing
What is identification
When the observer respects/admires the role model and aspires to be like them or sees themselves as similar to the role model. Identification increases the motivation to imitate a role model.
What is modelling
Refers to the things we see or hear models doing, saying etc. Models can be real people we have in our lives, celebrities we see on TV etc and filmed models too. Attitudes as well as behaviours can be modelled.
What is vicarious reinforcement
When an individual observes a role model being rewarded for a behaviour. They are then motivated to imitate this behaviour in the hope of receiving a similar rewarding consequence.
What is vicarious punishment
When an individual observes a role model being punished for a behaviour. Observing a role model being punished for performing a particular behaviour reduces the motivation to imitate that behaviour because the observer does not wish to be punished like the role model was.
What are the four parts of mediational processes
1) attention 2) retention 3) motivation 4) reproduction
What happens in the attention part of the mediational process
The observer has to concentrate on the models behaviour if it is to be imitated. Identification with the role model is important here.
What happens in the retention part of the mediational process
The behaviour has to be remembered & stored (i.e., retained) if it is going to be imitated later.
What happens in the motivation part of the mediational process
The observer must have good reason and want to imitate the behaviour that has been observed.
What happens in the reproduction part of the mediational process
The observer must be capable of imitating / reproducing the behaviour that they have observed.
Who conducted the Bobo doll study
Bandura
What was the aim of the Bobo doll study
see how just watching people influences our behaviour, specifically aggression.
Who was the sample in the Bobo doll study
72 children (36 boys and 36 girls) aged between 3-5 years.
What was the procedure on the Bobo doll experiment -broken down into 4 steps
1) Bandura put an adult in a room with a child and some toys, including a bobo doll. The child watched the adult play with the toys (either aggressively or non-aggressively). 2)They were then put in a room with more attractive looking toys, that they were told they couldn’t play with as they were for the special children. 3)The child was then taken back into the original toy room and left on their own to see how they would interact with those toys.4)The children were observed through a one-way mirror.
Results of the Bobo doll study
Children who watched the aggressive model copied the behaviour they had seen (they were hitting the bobo doll with their fists or a toy mallet and yelling abuse at it).Another group who watched the non-aggressive adult showed no signs of aggression and also played calmly with the toys, most ignored the bobo doll in favour of the other toys.
In the Bobo doll study, when could closest imitation be observed
When a child observed an adult of the same sex
What was the procedure and results of the follow up study of the Bobo doll experiment
Children were shown a film of an adult behaving aggressively towards the bobo doll. This time there were consequences for the model:Group A - was the control group (no consequences)Group B - the model was rewarded for their aggressive behaviour with sweetsGroup C - the model was punished for being aggressiveFindings: Group C showed fewer aggressive acts than A & B. This shows that vicarious punishment is more powerful than vicarious reinforcement.
Evaluation of SLT -Evidence, Bandura
Using 72 kids (36 boys and 36 girls) Bandura demonstrated the power of imitation with same sex role models. Some kids briefly saw an adult model attack a bobo doll with novel physical and verbal aggressive acts. After being mildly frustrated, the kids were observed through a one-way mirror imitating those very specific aggressive acts. Kids not exposed to an aggressive role model did not display such ‘vicarious’ learning.This means we can be more confident that this approach can be used to help explain human behaviour.
Evaluation of SLT-practical applications
For instance, censorship on films, video games as well as the 9pm watershed on mainstream TV attempts to minimalise kids exposure to unsuitable material. Knowing about the potential power of vicarious learning/imitation, we can keep kids away from negative role models in the media.This could imply that SLT helps reduce aggression in kids behaviour.
Evaluation of SLT -Criticism of Banduras work
Research into SLT like Bandura’s – whilst highly controlled – does not accurately reflect real life. In Bandura’s study, none of the kids actually got hurt, the aggressive display from the role model was highly scripted and unrealistic (rarely do we see adults attack blow up dolls!); ultimately the behaviour could be seen as nothing more than rough and tumble play.This means that, although the research demonstrated SLT in action, it is difficult to show cause and effect of role model behaviour in real life as extraneous variables such as biological factors are uncontrolled.
Evaluation of SLT- soft determinism
SLT claims that although the environment drives and shapes our behaviour its not inevitable. It suggests we choose our role models and have some role in selecting when to attend and retain information.However, this means the approach STILL offers an incomplete explanation of behaviour, neglecting proven factors in human behaviour such as BIOLOGICAL FACTORS.
Evaluation of SLT-Limited explanatory power
Finally, the mediating cognitive factors such as RETENTION / MOTIVATION identified in SLT have to be inferred so cannot measure extent of their influence. SLT does not explain cognitive processes, leaving this to cognitive psychologists and so the theory is limited in the extent to which it fully explains the process of imitating behaviours of role models.
