Psychological Explanations: Social learning theory Flashcards
Psychological Explanations: Social Learning Theory
Direct and Indirect Learning
- Bandura acknowledged aggression can be learned directly via conditioning.
- A child who snatches a toy and gets to keep it learns aggression is rewarding.
- This direct reinforcement makes it more likely they’ll behave aggressively again.
- However, Bandura recognised aggression cannot be explained by such direct forms of learning.
- An indirect mechanism accounts for social learning in most aggressive behaviours.
Psychological Explanations: Social Learning Theory
Observational Learning and Vicarious Reinforcement
- Children acquire aggressive behaviours through observing aggressive models.
- They also observe the consequences of that behaviour.
- If the model’s aggressive behaviour is rewarded the child learns aggression can be effective in getting what they want (vicarious reinforcement).
- The parallel form is vicarious punishment whereby a model’s aggressive behaviour is punished and the observing child is less likely to imitate that behaviour.
Psychological Explanations: Social Learning Theory
Cognitive Conditions
Mediational processes
- Attention - Cognitive requirements is the observer must pay attention to the model.
- Retention - observer needs to be able to remember the action and forms a mental representation of the action.
- Reproduction - observer needs to be transform the mental representation into actual physical action.
- Motivation - reason to imitate behaviour such as expectations of a reward.
Psychological Explanations: Social Learning Theory
Self-efficacy
- A child’s confidence in their ability to be aggressive grows as they learn it can bring rewards.
- Self-efficacy develops with each successful outcome and this increases confidence and success in future.
Psychological Explanations: Social Learning Theory
Bandura’s Research
- Young children observed an adult model assaulting a bobo doll physically and verbally.
- Children were then not allowed to play with attractive toys to create frustration.
- Without instruction, children imitated the aggressive behaviour when given a bobo doll.
- The imitation was virtually a direct copy of what the children had observed.
- Aggression in children who observed a non-aggressive model was non-existent.
Social Learning Theory: Evaluation
Research Support
Strength
- A study found aggressive boys 9-12 formed friendships with other aggressive boys.
- Friendships reinforced each boys aggressive behaviour through modelling (observing each other successfully using proactive aggression).
- This means they were frequently exposed to models of physical aggression and its positive results, as well as recieving rewarding approval from the rest of the group.
Social learning processes made imitation of aggression more likely, supporting social learning theory.
Social Learning Theory: Evaluation
Counterpoint
Research Support
- The study did not find similarity between friends for reactive aggression.
- The researcher found the boys were much less likely to influence each other.
- They observed the outbursts but didn’t imitate them.
- This was perhaps because consequences of reactive aggression is unpredictable.
SLT is limited as it provides a relatively weak explanation of reactive aggression.
Social Learning Theory: Evaluation
Real-world Application
Strength
- Children readily imitate role models when they observe them being rewarded of any behaviour, especially when they identify with them.
- A way to reduce aggression is to provide rewarded non-aggressive models.
- Encouraging children to form friendships with children rewarded for non-aggression gives them more opportunities to model non-aggressive behaviour.
This means SLT offers practical steps to reduce the developement of aggressive behaviour in children.
Social Learning Theory: Evaluation
Biological Influences
Limitation
- SLT underestimates the influences of biological factors.
- Bandura recognised the role of biology but was clear aggression is primarily learning and the outcome of nurture.
- However, it has been established there are many biological influences on aggression, which SLT doesn’t explain at all.
SLT is an incomplete explanation of aggression because it underplays biology.
