SLT Evaluation Flashcards
Supporting experimental evidence from Bandura 1965
Showed importance of vicarious reinforcement when children were shown a film of a model acting aggressively towards a bobo doll. Model was either rewarded, ignored or punished and the least amount of aggression shown was when children had seen model punished
Supporting experimental evidence from bandura Ross and Ross 1961
Showed that children will imitate aggression when they see it modelled by an adult, especially when the adult is the same sex as the child
Evaluate the supporting experimental evidence for SLT
High in reliability as highly controlled environment establishes a strong cause and effect relationship. Low in ecological validity due to high controlled and artificial environment
Practical application?
May be used to rehabilitate offenders by using suitable role models to help them learn appropriate behaviour. Volunteers enter prisons and act as a positive role model and have a positive influence
The theory is reductionist
Focuses only on how an individual is influenced by social factors and does not consider biological explanations of why they might turn to crime. Theory fails to take into account individual differences like moral development and whether they have a natural predisposition to anti social behaviour due to their personality
Refuting evidence to suggest that social learning theory cannot explain criminal/anti social behaviour?
The quasi experiment like charlton 2000 found no effect of the introduction of TV on the amount of aggression shown by young children even when the children were exposed to media violence. However there is lack of control but high ecological validity.
What crime does SLT not account for??
Criminal behaviour that is opportunistic such as murder. Tends to only account for crimes that are easily observed in society like stealing and aggression
