SLT ISSUES AND DEBATES

Question 1

Issues and debates

Answer 1

Determinism (soft)
Nurture
Nomothetic
Mostly scientific
Real world application

Question 2

Determinism (soft)

Answer 2

SLT acknowledges the role of environmental forces (vicarious reinforcement) but suggests that humans have personal responsibility and have some free choice.

Question 3

Nurture

Answer 3

SLT suggests that behaviour is learnt via classical and operant conditioning and indirectly (observation + imitation) does not take into account biological factors.

Question 4

Nomothetic

Answer 4

SLT aims to establish general laws of behaviour (e.g. through observation, imitation of role models and reinforcement). SLT uses laboratory experiments to generate quantitative data to make generalisations.

Question 5

Mostly scientific

Answer 5

SLT utilises scientific methods of investigation, which researcher can replicate (e.g. Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment). However, SLT also considers mediational processes which researchers are unable to directly observe.

Question 6

Real world application

Answer 6

SLT is able to explain many psychological disorders and has led to positive change (e.g. the introduction of the watershed on TV, etc.).