Psychology test - thursday Flashcards
Who discovered the social learning theory?
Bandura developed SLT in the 1960s
What does the social learning theory involve?
It agrees with the idea that people can learn by conditioning by also claims that they learn a lot from role models. Some mediational (cognitive) processed are also involved between the stimulus and the response.
What does the social learning theory claim?
It claims that people must focus their attention on the role model, perceive what they do and remember it in order to learn how to do it too.
Which processes is behaviour learnt through in SLT?
SLT proposes that several processes take place for learning to happen and these include: Modelling, Reinforcement and Vicarious Reinforcement.
What does modelling in the SLT involve?
Modelling involves observing and imitating another person (the model). It also requires identification with the model - where certain attractive qualities and characteristics are picked up on. If you identify with the model, you can copy and learn from their behaviour. The model will often be someone who is significant to the observer (e.g. a parent, a celebrity, a peer).
What does reinforcement in the SLT involve?
Reinforcement = positive and negative reinforcement makes the behaviour more likely to be happen again in the future.
What does vicarious reinforcement in the SLT involve?
Vicarious Reinforcement = Seeing others being rewarded for a behaviour influences someone in whether they choose to imitate the behaviour.
What is mediation?
Behaviour is mediated through cognitive processes and for effective learning, mediational processes need to happen.
What is the anagram for these mediational processes?
ARRM:
A = attention
R = retention
R = reproduction
M = motivation
What is attention in SLT?
To learn a behaviour from others, you have to pay attention. Once you notice your role model, you have to give your full attention and attend to their behaviour.
What is retention in SLT?
Not only do you need to pay attention at the time, but you need to remember what you observed to be able to model it.
What is reproduction in SLT?
You then judge whether you have the ability to reproduce the behaviour. If you think you can reproduce the behaviour, it is far more likely to be repeated.
What is motivation in SLT?
Finally, you evaluate the direct or indirect results of of imitating the behaviour. If the behaviour results in a good reward, you are more likely yo imitate it.
What type of theory is the SLT?
SLT is a reductionist theory as it explains things through very basic cause-and-effect mechanisms. For example, it explains all behaviour of learning through others, and ignores any biological explanations.
What is the first approach of the cognitive theory?
Behaviour can be best understood by looking at the processes which come between an environmental stimulus and the behavioural response.
What is the second approach of the cognitive theory?
Cognitive psychologists reject the behaviourist’s explanation of learning as a result of random trial and error. Instead they argue that cognitive processes operate in an organised and systematic manner.
What is the third assumption of the cognitive approach?
The computer analogy. The human mind is compared to a computer and human beings are seen as informative processors who absorb information from the outside world, code and interpret it, store it and retrieve it.
What is the fourth assumption of the cognitive approach?
Inference. Cognitive psychologists argue that insights into mental processes may be inferred from an individuals behaviour, this means that making assumptions about processes which cannot directly be observed.
What is the fifth assumption of the cognitive approach?
Models. From their inferences, cognitive psychologists may build either theoretical or computer models of cognitive processes.
What is the sixth assumption of the cognitive approach?
Cognitive psychologists use experimental methods, with its emphasis on objectivity, control and replicability.
What is one strength of the cognitive approach?
One strength of the cognitive approach is that it provides a less simplistic account of behaviour that the behaviourist approach as it considers the impact of mental processes on behaviour which are often overlooked by other approaches, e.g. Behaviourism.
What is another strength of the cognitive approach?
The approach also has many useful real - life applications. For example, it has had a large influence on the development of therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).
What is the final strength of the cognitive approach?
The approach is highly scientific and it has always employed highly controlled and rigorous methods of study.
What is one limitation of the cognitive approach?
The approach may still be guilty of machine reductionsim as it assumes that everyone processes information in the same way (like an information processing machine) and this ignores the effect of other factors, such as emotion, personality or biology, which may affect behaviour. therefore the approach does not provide a full explanation of behaviour.
