Question 2. Explain Social Cognitive Theory with reference to one study. Flashcards
What does Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) explain?
SCT explains how people learn behavior through observation
SCT suggests individuals can acquire new behaviors by watching others and observing the consequences of their actions.
What are the four essential processes for learning according to SCT?
- Attention
- Retention
- Potential
- Motivation
These processes are crucial for individuals to learn behaviors through observation.
What is vicarious reinforcement?
Vicarious reinforcement is when individuals are more likely to imitate a behavior if the observed model is rewarded
This concept emphasizes how observed consequences affect motivation to imitate behaviors.
What was the aim of Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?
To investigate whether children would imitate aggressive behavior modeled by an adult and if imitation varied based on the model’s gender and the child’s gender
This study aimed to explore the effects of observational learning on children’s behavior.
How many children participated in Bandura’s study, and what was their age range?
72 children aged from 3 to 6 years
The sample included 36 boys and 36 girls.
What were the three groups in Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?
- One group saw an adult model behave aggressively towards a Bobo doll
- Another group saw the model behave calmly
- The third group had no model
These groups were necessary to compare the effects of different types of modeling.
What were the results of Bandura’s study regarding children’s aggression?
Children who observed the aggressive model were most aggressive, those with no model were second, and those who saw the passive model showed the least aggression
This indicates that observation of aggressive behavior influences children’s actions.
True or False: Boys were more likely to imitate physical aggression when the model was female.
False
Boys tended to imitate physical aggression more when the model was male.
What does self-efficacy refer to in the context of SCT?
Self-efficacy is the belief that we are able to imitate the behavior
This belief increases the likelihood of imitating behaviors observed in models.
Fill in the blank: According to SCT, individuals are more likely to imitate someone’s behavior if they are _______.
[more like us]
Similarity increases the likelihood of imitation.
What conclusion can be drawn from Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?
Children learned aggressive behavior by watching the models
The lack of punishment for the models’ actions contributed to this learning.
