Social cognitive theory - SAQ

Question 1

What were the 2 types of learning that Bandura suggested?

Answer 1

Direct learning

Indirect learning

Question 2

Direct learning

Answer 2

Occurs when an individual performs an action and experiences its consequences (positive or negative)

This reinforces or inhibits further repetition of this action.

Question 3

Indirect learning

Answer 3

Occurs when an individual observes another person’s actions and their consequences.

Question 4

What was the predominant theory of learning before social cognitive theory?

Answer 4

Behaviourism

Question 5

Behaviourism

Answer 5

Implicit assumption that all learning is direct.

Meaning the learning described in the behaviourist approach was all trial and error

Question 6

Why was Bandura not satisfied with the theory of behaviourism?

Answer 6

Bandura felt that this was not enough to explain the complex process of socialisation including learning such things as language or religious practices.

The advantage of social learning theory was that it was able to incorporate and explain indirect learning.

Question 7

What does the idea that learning occurring indirectly through observing other mean?

Answer 7

It is not necessary to demonstrate the actual behaviour for learning to occur.

In our learning we depend on available models - people whose behaviour we observe.

Question 8

Before social cognitive theory, there was social learning

What does social cognitive theory include?

Answer 8

Reciprocal determinism

The idea of human agency

Identification

Self-efficacy

Question 9

Reciprocal determinism

Answer 9

The concept of reciprocity implies that the three factors influence each other mutually, in a bidirectional way.

These are: physical, cognitive and emotional, behaviour and environment

Question 10

Human agency

Answer 10

Human beings are self regulating, self reflecting and proactive.

Question 11

Identification

Answer 11

Learning is more likely to occur if the observer can closely identify with the model. Identification is enhanced when there is perceived similarity between the model and the observer.

Question 12

Self efficacy

Answer 12

The extent to which individuals believe they can master a particular skill or behaviour.

Question 13

What study is used for social cognitive theory?

Answer 13

Bandura

Question 14

When was the Bandura study?

Answer 14

1961

Question 15

What was the aim of Bandura (1961)?

Answer 15

To find out how observing an adult model behaving aggressively towards an inflatable doll (Bobo doll) influences children’s subsequent aggressive behaviour.

Question 16

What type of method was it?

Answer 16

It was a laboratory experiment

Question 17

Participants

Answer 17

72 children (36 girls and 36 boys) aged 3-6.

Question 18

What were the different groups that the children were allocated?

Answer 18

Aggressive role model (24 children) - in this group the adult model behaved aggressively towards the Bobo doll by following a script.

Non aggressive role model (24 children) - in this group the adult model followed a similar script, but aggressive actions were replaced by non aggressive actions.

Control groups - this group had no model.

Question 19

1. What was the child asked to do at the beginning of the study?

Answer 19

To play in the corner with prints and stickers, mallet, and an inflatable Bobo doll.

Question 20

2. What was the adult then meant to do?

Answer 20

In the aggressive condition was to spend some time playing with the toy set and then to turn to the Bobo doll and behave aggressively towards it, both verbally and physically.

In the non-aggressive condition the adult just played quietly with the toys.

Question 21

3. What happened when the child was brought to the next room?

Answer 21

A frustrating situation was created to ‘instigate’ the child’s aggression.

The child was given attractive toys, but when the interest was sparked and the play began, the child was separated from the toys and taken to a third room instead.

Question 22

What finally happened in the third room?

Answer 22

The room contained toys similar to those in the first rooms, including a slightly smaller version of the Bobo doll. Observation at this stage lasted for 20 minutes.

The researchers had a checklist of behaviours to observe, including such categories as imitative aggression and non imitative aggression

Question 23

Results

Answer 23

Exposure of children to the aggressive model increased the frequency of aggressive behaviour among the children.

Imitation in same sex role model conditions was more likely than in the conditions where the sex of the child and the sex of the model were different.

Boys were more likely to be aggressive than girls across all groups

Boys were more likely to imitate physical aggression while girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression.

Question 24

Conclusion

Answer 24

The main conclusion from the study (apart from additional gender related findings) was that the idea of observational learning was supported: learning can indeed be indirect and new behaviours can be learned by simply observing others.

Question 25

What to know for social cognitive theory?

Answer 25

Direct and indirect learning
Behaviourism
Additions to the SCT
Bandura (1961)