evaluation of SLT Flashcards
underestimates the influence of biological factors
one consistent finding- boys were often more aggressive than girls regardless of the situation.
maybe explained by hormonal factors such as differences in levels of testosterone a hormone that is present in greater quantities in boys than girls and which is linked to increased aggressive behaviour.
this means that this important influence on behaviour is not accounted for in SLT
Over-reliance on evidence from lab studies
Social learning theory is supported by research Bandura
and Walters, however, these were laboratory experiments and the task did not reflect the way the participants behave in their normal life.
At this young age, parents would guide their understanding of the situation and moderate their behavior this was not the case in the studies as the children were on
their own.
The children were aggressive towards a doll which they know does not feel pain and cannot retaliate; their behavior might be different towards another child.
Furthermore, the children were in an unfamiliar environment they might have thought that they were expected to behave like the model (demand characteristics).
The participants were young children, older children and adults might not have imitated the aggressive behavior as they have more developed moral values.
The importance of cognitive factors in learning.
It is a more complete explanation of human behavior than conditioning as it takes into
account cognitive factors in learning. However, it does not take into account free will
and moral values.
Explains cultural differences in behavior
SLT can be used to explain the influence of media on aggressive behavior. this can explain how cultural norms are transmitted through particular societies. this has proved useful in understanding a range of behaviours such as how children come to understand their gender role
