Lesson 4 - Social Learning Theory

Question 1

What is social learning theory?

Answer 1

New patterns of behaviour can be acquired by observing the behaviour of others. Also observes different consequences like rewards and punishments. It also considers cognitive processes

Question 2

Modelling

Answer 2

For social learning to be effective, it requires a person to model the behaviour. They can be live, like a parent, or symbolic like a TV character.

Question 3

Imitation

Answer 3

Children learn via imitating a model. This usually is faster than classical and operant conditioning.

It takes into account:

• The characteristics of the model (age, gender etc)
• The observers perceived ability to perform the behaviours shown
• The observed consequence of the behaviour (reward/punishment)

Question 4

Identification

Answer 4

The observer may perceive the model as similar to them and may relate to them. In order for social learning to be effective, children are likely to identify with a model of the same sex

Question 5

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 5

Children who observe a model that receives a reward for showing a behaviour, are more likely to imitate that. This shows that you do not need to experience the behaviour and rewards for yourself to learn it.

Question 6

Mediational processes (cognitive)

Answer 6

Mediational processes are mental (cognitive) factors that intervene in the learning process to determine whether a new behaviour is acquired or not.

Attention - The observer must pay attention to the behaviour

Retention - They must remember the behaviour

Motor reproduction - They must be able to perform the behaviour

Motivation - They must be willing to perform the behaviour

Question 7

Strengths of Social Learning Theory

Answer 7

• Akers (1998) found that criminals seem to engage more in criminal behaviour when they are exposed to a criminal model that they can identify with (same gender, age etc)
• Fox (2009) found that observers who were playing a video game with a model who looked similar to themselves, they were more likely to engage in the same behaviours as the model
• Social learning theory is good because it takes into account both behavioural and cognitive factors compared to classical and operant conditioning

Question 8

Weaknesses of social learning theory

Answer 8

• It does not take into account cause and effect. For example, in research that says that associating with criminal models leads to an increase in similar behaviour, this behaviour may be the result of other factors, like previously held attitudes
• Social learning theory ignores the role of biology. Bandura found that boys were more aggressive than girls regardless of the experimental condition
• It is based on environmental determinism, which states that behaviour is influenced by the environment

Question 9

Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment (1961)

Answer 9

• 36 male and 36 female children of 37-69 months of age
• They observed either a male/female aggressive/non aggressive interact with a bobo doll
• The aggressive conditions involved striking it with a mallet and shouting verbally aggressive exclamations like POW!!!!!!
• The children were also made to be frustrated by being shown attractive toys they could not play with
• One by one, the children were taken into a room with a bobo doll and aggressive and non aggressive dolls, like mallets and hammers. They were observed for 20 minutes
• Those who observed the aggressive model reproduced the same aggressive behaviour, the others showed no aggression at all
• 33% of the children in the aggressive group repeated the same verbal aggression
• 0% of the children in the non aggressive group showed aggressive verbal behaviour
• In a follow up study, the models were rewarded for their aggressive behaviour, this increased the amount of imitation
• Boys were more aggressive than girls, and aggression was greater if the model was of the same gender as the child

Question 10

Strengths of the Bobo Doll experiment by Bandura

Answer 10

• The variables in the experiment were highly controlled as it was a laboratory experiment. It is highly reliable and the results are likely to be replicated
• It provides very good evidence that social learning is a good way for children to learn new behaviours. We should be aware of the role of TV and media as children are easily influenced

Question 11

Weaknesses of the Bobo Doll experiment by Bandura

Answer 11

• It was carried out in a lab, so it difficult to generalise it to the wider world setting and it lacks ecological validity
• The nature of the bobo doll is that it bounces back once you hit it, therefore this mechanism may encourage you to be aggressive with it as that is how it is meant to be played with. A teddy bear would have been more suitable
• Very obvious ethical issues, as the children were taught to be more aggressive, and they may extend this behaviour to their home and school life and they may inflict harm on others. They were also made to feel frustrated, which could have an impact on their psychological health.