Social leanring tehory evals

Question 1

Research method eval long model

Answer 1

Many studies into social learning and aggression are conducted in controlled conditions (e.g. Bandura et al. 1961). This means researchers can manipulate an independent variable while controlling potential confounding variables. For example in Bandura et al.’s (1961) study, some children observed an adult being aggressive towards a Bobo doll and others observed non-aggressive interactions. Control allows researchers to establish that social learning processes may cause aggressive behaviour. Bandura et al. showed that imitation through observational learning is a cause of aggression.

However, such studies are unlike real-world social learning situations. They create ‘ideal’ testing conditions which generally do not exist in reality. For example, in the lab children are able to observe adult aggression very closely. Also, the time between observation and the opportunity to imitate is relatively short. An important issue in Bandura et al.’s study was that the Bobo doll could not retaliate to being hit. There are also demand characteristics, e.g. the Bobo doll is designed to be hit. Also, children were presented with the objects they had seen adults use as weapons against the Bobo doll. So it is no surprise they used them in the same way.

Therefore controlled studies are useful for identifying potential causes of aggression but need to be validated against real-world observations.

Question 2

Research support

Answer 2

One strength of SLT is research supporting its explanation of aggression. Francois Poulin and Michel Boivin found that aggressive boys ahed between 9 and 12 years formed friendships with other aggressive boys. These friendships mutually reinforced each boys aggressive behaviours through modelling. Fir example the boys would observe each other successfully using proactive aggression which provided reinforcement. This means they were exposed frequently to models of physical aggression and to its positive consequences. The boys also gained reinforcement from the rewarding approval of the rest of the gang.
These social learning processes made imitation of aggressive behaviour by the boys much more likely as predicted by SLT.

Question 3

Eval counter point?

Answer 3

However the above study did not find similarity between friends for reactive aggression. Reactive aggression is angry retaliation in the heat of the moment. The researchers found that the boys were much less likely to influence each others reactive aggressive outburst. They observed them but generally did not imitate them. This was perhaps because the consequences of reactive aggression are unpredictable and not often as positive as they are for planned proactive aggression. Therefore SLT is limited because it is a relatively weak explanation of reactive aggression.

Question 4

Real world application eval

Answer 4

Another strength is that SLT can help reduce aggression. Children readily imitate models when they observe them being rewarded for any behaviour and espicallyt when they identify with them. This applies to modelling aggressive behaviour. One way to reduce aggression is to provide rewarded non aggressive models. The same learning process that can lead to aggressive behaviour coma produce non aggression. For instance encouraging children to form friendships with children rewarded for non aggression gives them more opportunities to model non aggressive behaviour. Therefore SLT offers practical steps to reduce the development of aggressive behaviour in children