Individualistic - learning theories Flashcards
Learning theories
based on assumptions that criminal behaviour is learned
2 ways we learn behaviours
- directly through reward and punishment
- indirectly through observation and imitation
Who proposed social learning theory?
Albert Bandura
What is social learning theory (SLT)?
attempts to explain socialisation and its effects by looking at individual learning processes
SLT and crime
people engage in crime through association of others that are involved in crime learnign beleifs and behavious through criminal ‘models’
Vicarious reinforcement
if someone sees an individual rewared for a behaviour they are more likely to copy that behaviour and vice vera for punishment being a discouragement from certain actions
‘Models’
people whom we learn behaviour from modelling ourselves off them but only of higher status than us
Study that Bandura carried out?
BOBO doll study
BOBO doll: procedure
- children seeing two different ‘models’
1. aggressive - showing aggression towards the doll, punching, kicking etc.
2. non aggressive model
group 1 saw adult praised
group 2 saw adult punished
group 3 control group
BOBO doll: results
- boys more likely to show aggression if their model did
- More likely to copy the model if they are the same sex as the child
- both boys and girls more likely to copy if the model was rewarded
SLT evaluation : strengths
- takes into accunt we are social beings
- highlights how we learn
- shows importance of role models in learning deviance
SLT evaluation : weaknesses
- artifical lab setting so lacks ecological validity and mundane realism
- ignores freedom of choice
- not all observed behaviour os easily imitaited
Operant learning theory
if a behaviour results in reward it will be repeated but if outcome is undesirable it will not be repeated
Behaviourism
cause of someones behaviour is a result of the reward/punishment they receive
Operant conditioning study
Skinners box
