Learning by Observation Flashcards
What are the 2 theories associated with learning?
traditional learning theory
social learning theory
What does traditional learning theory state?
Learning is the result of individual conditioning history
What does social learning theory state?
Learning is the result of observation (and conditioning)
What does imitation involve? (2)
self-awareness
perspective taking
What is the principle of parsimony?
the simplest explanation is the best
WHat 3 things are not considered true imitation?
Contagion
Social facilitation
Local enhancement (stimulus enhancement)
What s contagion?
the innate tendency to react to an emotional response of other members of the species
What sis social facilitation?
the behaviour of one individual that prompts a similar behaviour in another which is already in their repertoire
What is local/ stimulus enhancement?
subjects attention that is drawn towards a location or a stimulus
what is the difference between emulation and imitation?
Emulation is the copying of observed goals (aims)
Imitation is when the observer copies the behavioural sequence
When does stimulus matching occur?
When the actual motor sequence needed to produce a behaviour cannot be directly observed
WHat is an example of how imitation can be linked to classical conditioning?
When a child sees fear for a snake in their mother- then their response is conditioned to fear the snake as an imitation of their mother
How is operant conditioning linked to imitation?
If imitation is reinforced then it increases
Imitation can also be generalised
How does Bandura suggest social learning theory is different to the theory of operant conditioning?
Observations of reinforcement/ punishment of others instead of ones own actions
What happened in the Bobo doll experiment?
Children observed aggressive behaviour
-generally imitated reinforced behaviour but also needed a
reward of own aggression to increase behaviour
The conclusion of the Bobo doll experiment was that learning can occur through imitation alone, but there is also a need for a _______ to produce behaviour.
reward
What affects the occurrence of imitation? (4)
attention
retention
motor reproduction
incentive/ motivation
How do aggressive parents affect children?
Children are more aggressive when not with parents but less aggressive when with parents
WHat makes a good model? (3)
rewardingness
dominance
similarity to them
What is route preference?
preference for a route already shown
In face preference what do males and females prefer?
females prefer male faces that are being smiled at by another female
and
males prefer female faces that are being smiled at by another male
WHat do we learn through television and through what/ what type of shows?
Vocab- sesame street
sociability - children’s shows
Aggression - violent shows
What are the conflicting findings on violent video games?
Increased aggression and decreased pro-social behaviour
vs.
Cathartic release = low hostile feelings
What has used advertising to affect behaviour throughout the last century?
Smoking awareness/ brands
WHat social media articles are more likely to go viral? (2)
Thos that have positive content and
are physically arousing
What types or neurons are essential to imitation and social learning?
Mirror neurons
What are mirror neurons?
Neurons that fire in the premotor cortex in a response to a action and neurons that fire in the inferior parietal lobe when observing an action
WHat did Ferrari discover about imitation with monkeys?
That neural mechanisms for imitation may be similar in monkeys as they are in humans
There is greater activity in the premotor cortex with actions are guided by ___________ compared to _________ ___________.
observation
verbal instruction
How are mirror neurons monitored?
Using and fMRI to monitor regions of the brain
What is the limitation in using an fMRI for mirror neuron research?
fMRI shows region activity and region doesn’t equal same neurons
