Evaluating the SLT approach Flashcards
One strength of the SLT approach is…
P- It has supporting research from Bandura’s Bobo Doll studies.
E- For example, Bandura found that when children observe aggressive behaviour they imitate it. They were more likely to hurt the doll when they saw the adult being rewarded and praised for doing so (vicarious reinforcement) and if the adult was the same sex as the child (identification)
E- This is a strength because it shows that social learning theory has a body of objective scientific research studies to support it, which adds validity to SLT.
Another strength of the SLT approach is…
P- SLT principles have been applied to a range of real world behaviours. (practical applications)
E- for example, this can be used by parents who can model appropriate behaviours for their children, such as manners. it can also be used by teachers in the classroom to model answering questions. it can be used in therapy to treat phobias where the therapist shows that you can be calm and relaxed in the presence of the phobic stimuli.
E- This is a strength because it increases the value of the SLT approach because it has a widespread application.
A third strength of the SLT approach is…
P- It is less reductionist than the behaviourist approach as it recognises the importance of cognitive factors in learning.
E- For example, where the behaviourist approach sees learning behaviour as the result of a simple learnt stimulus-response, Bandura rightly pointed out that we can and do store information about the behaviour of others and use this to make judgements about when it is appropriate to performs certain actions.
E- This is a strength because it suggests that SLT is providing us with a more comprehensive explanation of human behaviour by recognising the role of mediational processes in learning.
A weakness of the SLT approach is…
P- It has been criticised for underplaying the influence of biological factors (nature) on social learning.
E- For example, while Bandura did say that naturally occurring biological differences could influence our learning potential, overall he thought that learning was determined by the environment. However, recent research has suggested that observational learning may be the result of mirror neurons in the brain, which allow us to empathise with and imitate other people.
E- This is a weakness because it suggests that biological influences on social learning were underemphasised in SLT.
